Lifestyle Choices
by ArtisticLullaby
Summary: AU. Dean Ambrose isn't who Brielle Williams thinks he is. He's got an affliction and instinct calls him to protect her. How long can he keep both her and his secret safe? How long can he go before Seth or Roman tell her what he is? What they all are? Multiple pairings and OCs. Rated for language and sexual contact. Title subject to change.
1. 1995 - The Click

**I know that I probably shouldn't be starting new projects when I have one in progress, but this idea has been nagging me for months and I figured that posting it would help. I've actually got a couple more chapters written, so if you're interested in reading more, then leave a review and let me know. The same goes for if you think it's stupid. Please and thank you! **

* * *

Everything we know as humans is a lie. All the monsters in the dark that countless movies and TV shows are made about are real. Vampires, werewolves, shape shifters, hell, even big foot is real. Skillfully hidden among the masses of everyday society, but real nonetheless. They knew who wasn't human, but they didn't point it out. It was an unspoken rule: keep your cover and don't blow anybody else's. Blowing somebody else's cover could result in mass panic and getting hunted down for such a serious crime.

Mating was also a very serious thing in the supernatural community. It didn't matter if you were a vampire, werewolf, skin walker, shape shifter, or anything else. Having a mate was having somebody who was put on the earth specifically for you and it was your job to love and protect that mate from danger, just as it was their job to love and protect you. When your mate was born, you /knew/. It was like something clicked in your head and those who felt like life had no purpose had new purpose, and that was to find their mate.

It was eleven thirty-four on the night of July 31st, 1995 when Dean Ambrose felt the click. He had been waiting since the Civil War for her to be born for him, and now that she was born, he had to find her.

According to Roman, his only werewolf friend who had already found his mate long before, finding her would be the easy part. Getting her to understand the situation and agree to be with him for eternity was the hard part. Since Dean didn't know if she was born human or was born a supernatural creature, neither was a particularly ideal situation. If she was supernatural, then she could've been told to be wary of his kind and then he'd have to appeal to her family in more ways than just her charming boyfriend, he'd have to prove that he wasn't trying to start a war by being with her. If she was a human, he'd have to get her to believe everything that was going on around her and then get her to not be paranoid about the fact that supernatural creatures had been part of her everyday life- just skillfully hidden.

"You're sure you don't want to wait until she's older than a few hours old?" Roman had asked him, but Dean only shook his head.

"I've been waiting alone for far too long." Was all the shifter said before zipping up his suitcase. "Do you think I'd be able to shift into a puppy even though I'm a grown ass man?"

"Why?"

"Every family needs a guard dog."

"Regular house dogs die after like ten years, Dean."

"I'll 'run away' after nine and keep my eye out for her until she's eighteen." Dean reasoned, not missing Roman's sigh.

"What are you going to do, then, Ambrose? I'm sure 'hey, squirt, I was your house pet but I ran away so I could be a man and then be with you forever' will work excellently." The big werewolf argued, frowning when Dean laid face down on the bed.

"What else am I supposed to do, Rome? I can't just sit here, knowing that she's out there somewhere." To anybody else, Dean's mumbling into the duvet on his bed would've been inaudible, but Roman understood him perfectly.

"I'm not saying that you can't go find her, but once you see her you're not going to want to leave her. It might be best that you wait until she's older and will be able to understand better."

"It sucks, man. Watching you and Elmira being happy." If Dean didn't have such massive pride, he knew he'd be crying in front of Roman. But the last thing he needed was Roman reporting just how depressed he was to his mate, Elmira, and then being pitied by the woman. He loved Elmira, she was a sister to him, but she had a bad habit of smothering and he wasn't really in the mood for being smothered by her love and sympathy.

"I can only imagine." Roman whispered, placing a warm hand on his friend's back. "Go for a run or go see a show. Distract yourself for a while."

"I'm just going to sleep. Thanks for stopping by, Roman."

"I'm always going to be here for you, Dean."

"I wonder if she feels it too?"

"Feels what?"

"The longing."

"I'll ask 'Mira in the morning." Roman stated, gently patting dean's back one last time before exiting the blonde's small home and heading to his own.

* * *

Elmira was up and waiting for Roman in their bed, wearing nothing but one of his tshirts and her underwear. She looked good enough to eat, but he could tell that sex wasn't on her mind. Concern was obvious in those hazel eyes and he loved how caring she was.

"Is everything alright with Dean?"

"He felt the click."

"The mate click?" She asked as she watched her mate strip down so he was nude. Roman didn't like wearing clothes to bed and she could understand that to an extent. He was incredibly warm all the time, so it wasn't surprising that for him to comfortably sleep under cover that he needed to be naked.

"About half hour ago." He spoke as he sat down beside her on the bed. She moved to snuggle into his side, burying her face into his neck and smiling as he did the same. "I just talked him out of hunting down his infant mate, but I have no clue how long it'll take for the longing he feels to take over his senses."

"He'll be okay, Roman. He's gone centuries without her, so the next eighteen or so years are going to fly by, right?"

"He went those centuries knowing that she wasn't here yet. Time dragged for me while I waited for you to be of age. The only difference is that fourteen was legal when I got you, now it's not."

"Dean will be okay. He's a strong guy."

_If only you really understood what the longing felt like._ Roman thought to himself as he pulled back from his mate to kiss her softly. She didn't fully understand how Dean's mind worked and she probably never would. But she didn't need to know the inner workings of Dean's mind. It was for the best that she didn't.


	2. 2013 - First Meeting

In the eighteen years Dean had to wait, he had decided to devote himself to doing something worthwhile with his life. So he moved to Vegas and enlisted with the police force. He knew that his mate was in the Las Vegas area, since his heart had been pulling him to her since the click occurred, and he decided that he'd keep himself close to her even though Roman didn't think it was a wise idea.

As far as Dean was concerned, Roman had his mate already and didn't have a say in how Dean conducted his business when it came to his mate. Dean had done extensive patrolling and looking out for her; he knew where she lived, where she went to school, the group she typically hung out with, what sports she played, what route she took to get home, and her daily schedule. Sometimes he shifted into his animal form and walked home alongside her from her high school.

She had named him Lucky, since the first time they walked together she had picked up a fifty dollar bill. She had such a lovely smile and nice teeth, too. He hated leaving her because she always looked sad to see him go but he knew that he had other obligations for the time being. He had to make money to survive somehow, and being a cop was his somehow.

After a rough night at work, he collapsed in his bed for about an hour of sleep before he went to do his usual patrol of his future mate's house. Nothing was going to cause harm to her if he could help it. Like always, he jogged from his apartment to her house, but was caught off guard when he smelled a vampire in the area. There were plenty of supernatural creatures around Vegas, the city was practically a safe haven for freaks like him, but he had never smelled a vampire so close to her house before.

"Hey, Ambrose." To any human, it would've sounded like the wind was blowing. But he heard the voice loud and clear. "Roman said you were rocking in Vegas."

"Nah, man. I'm a cop, here." Dean spoke, turning to face another man who was family to him. "What are you doing here, Seth?"

"My mate was born here. I lucked out since she's another vampire so she'll be good for me in about a week or two. She's gotta get used to the whole 'vampire' thing."

"Did you two..."

"Do that eye contact thing?" Seth asked, describing what was ritual when supernatural creatures found their mates. "Yeah. Her eyes are gorgeous, man. What are you doing here?"

"My mate, she's a human. She-uh- lives on this street."

"Is she like twelve?" Seth asked with a chuckle, wrapping his arm around Dean's shoulders as the two walked.

"She's eighteen on the thirty first."

"Have you talked to her?"

"Kinda. Not like this."

"Did you hit her with the golden retriever eyes?"

"She calls me Lucky." Dean murmured with a smirk, a bit thrown off that he was basically gossiping like a schoolgirl over a girl. But this is what being mated did to people like him.

"How fucking adorable. You know her name?"

"I do."

"I feel like you have a reason for not telling me, and that's fine. I respect your wishes." Seth stated as the two walked, looking like an odd pair with Seth looking like he just left a rave and Dean looking like he was heading to a gym, but neither really cared. "Have you heard from Roman?"

"Yeah, he and 'Mira are up in Utah, right?"

"Yeah. Middle of fuckin' nowhere, though."

"Coming from the guy who likes to spend his time in Iowa, those words mean nothing to me." Dean teased, growling when Seth pulled his hair.

"Did I piss off the golden retriever?"

"I've been working on being a bear, too. Hurts like a bitch, though."

"Practice makes perfect, though."

"Doesn't make the transition hurt any less." Dean grumbled, rubbing his arm that was still sore from the last time he attempted the transition.

"What can you do?"

"Golden retriever, I turned into a dolphin one time, I mastered a fox transition a couple years ago, there are others but I'd rather not reveal all of my tricks."

"Nice. I've gone four years human free."

"Oh yeah? How's that going for you?" Dean asked, looking over at Seth.

"Just fine, actually." Seth stated, looking over at Dean as the blonde stopped walking a put a hand up when a scream could be heard.

"Brielle." Dean whispered, training his ears for her footsteps as she ran in his and Seth's direction. It wasn't long before she came into view and Dean grabbed a hold of her. "Where's the fire, kid? I'm a cop, I can help."

"My-my house was broken into and my-" a sob left her lips and Dean held her close, gently rubbing her back.

"It's going to be okay, kid. What's your name?"

"Brielle Williams." She mumbled into his chest, but he heard her perfectly before pulling back and looking into her eyes.

"I'm Dean Ambrose." She only nodded, and Dean felt the click grow stronger. He saw something flicker in her eyes when their noses brushed and Seth heard both their heartbeats speed up.

This was Dean's mate. This petite, dainty looking human who smelled delicious to him. Seth knew that he had to get out of there before he did something he'd regret.

"Dean, I gotta go. She smells too good." Seth commented, patting Dean's back before quickly walking away. Dean could only nod his head in respect for his friend, knowing that sometimes Seth had a very sensitive nose for a vampire and that the two toned vamp was trying his best to not destroy the bond they had by accidentally draining his mate of every drop of blood inside her.

"Let's walk to your house, okay? Did you already call the police?" She only nodded and Dean looked into her bright green eyes.

"Brielle, you can talk to me. I'm not going to hurt you." Again, she only nodded and Dean sighed before wiping the tears from her cheeks. "We'll get you taken care of. I'll take care of you."

Brielle didn't recognize the true meaning behind his words, but all she knew was that Dean made her feel safe and that safety made her want to cling to him.


	3. 2014 - Friends

Brielle tried her best to move on from the savage murders of her parents. She got an apartment on her own using her inheritance from her grandmother's passing back when she was ten, and started studying education at the University of Las Vegas. She started seeing Officer Dean Ambrose, the man who she believed saved her life and felt an immense connection to when she first looked him in the eye. He was an amazing boyfriend; sweet, caring, mindful, and really protective of her. She liked that. The ten year age difference didn't bother her in the slightest.

Dean took to investigating her parents' case in his free time, knowing that it wasn't just a savage murder by another human being. That was the work of a vicious creature, he just had to figure out what it was and why it chose her parents. His immediate fear was that they would come after his mate. His Brielle. The thought of losing her terrified him.

But he hid his fear by taking her out on dates to accustom himself to life around her; to dinner, one time they stayed in a suite at the Luxor, and another time he took her camping. All in places where he knew they'd be around other supernatural creatures so they'd know she was his. He tried to be the best boyfriend he could be, and as human seeming as he could, which was really hard for him to do.

He found himself constantly fighting the urge to mount her whenever she was dressed skimpy and bent over to tease him, and knew that one of these days he wouldn't wait to get her into bed and on her back to bury himself in her. Not to mention the low growl that rumbled in his throat whenever another man looked at her the wrong way. She thought it was cute, but she also didn't understand what was going on with him.

Tonight Dean was taking her to a club to meet Seth and his mate officially. He hoped to god that the two vampires could control themselves even though Seth assured him that they went to feed a couple hours beforehand and ate enough to sustain them for days. But that didn't ease the blonde's wariness as he watched his mate walk around her bedroom in just her lacy underwear from where he sat on her bed.

"Dean, are you sure they won't card me?"

"Baby, you're hot and you're with me. A cop would never try to sneak an underage girl into a club." He assured, pulling her onto his lap so that she straddled him. "But if you're having second thoughts, we can always stay in and do other things." He suggested, kissing both of her breasts before dipping his tongue into the valley of her breasts and dragging it up her soft skin until he reached her collarbone.

"You know that tongue of yours always gets me all hot and bothered, babe." Brielle purred, running her hands through his messy blonde curls. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you didn't want me to meet your friends." She pouted, knowing that Dean couldn't resist that pout of hers.

"No, baby. Of course I want you to meet Seth and Abbey. I'd just rather make love to you all night long."

"You're such a charmer Officer Ambrose."

"In two weeks it'll be Detective Ambrose to you."

"Maybe you can investigate the case of my torn panties." She teased, leaning in for a kiss.

"Of course." He mumbled against her lips, sliding a finger along her covered slit. "Go get dressed, baby. I want us to get good seats."

"You got it."

* * *

After getting passed the bouncer without an issue, Dean kept a tight grip on Brielle's hand as he followed his nose through the crowd of people to Seth. Dean was pleasantly surprised when he saw Elmira and Roman sitting at the booth too and let go of Brielle's hand to hug his brother's mate.

A loud smack was heard next and Brielle jumped at the sound, seeing the angry woman hit her boyfriend. She knew that he probably deserved it, since Dean loved getting under people's skin, so she wasn't upset about it happening. But she was confused.

"If you ever go this long without calling again, Dean Ambrose, I will hunt you down and kill you myself." She threatened and Brielle herself felt threatened by the tall woman. She wasn't even wearing heels and she had to be six feet tall, making Brielle's natural five-foot-three look tiny. She was thanking god for Dean buying her five inch stilettos that one time he took her shopping, otherwise she'd feel like the hairless hobbit in the land of giants.

"Guys, this is Brielle. My girlfriend." He stressed the word girlfriend, hoping the werewolves and vampires at the table got the picture that Brielle didn't know what they were just yet. Roman only rose an eyebrow as he watched Dean help Brielle into the booth before sitting down.

"I'm Roman and this is my fiancé Elmira." Roman introduced, smiling when Brielle smiled at them nervously. "You've got nothing to be afraid of, babygirl. We're not going to eat you."

"Of course not." The platinum blonde woman sitting I between Roman and the two toned man added before smiling at Brielle. "I'm Seth's girlfriend Abbey. Dean has told us so much about you."

"Only the good things, I hope." Brielle joked, nodding when Dean whispered something about getting them drinks in her ear. This told her that he had a lot of trust in everyone they were sitting with, because he'd never left her alone in crowded public places. Even when she had to use the bathroom, he was waiting nearby.

"What's that face, sweetheart?" Seth asked, watching Brielle closely.

"Dean never just leaves me anywhere, so he obviously trusts you guys."

"I take it that Dean can be overprotective?" Elmira asked and Brielle nodded, lightly drumming her fingers against her thigh.

"At times. I think it's cute, though."

"You definitely mean a lot to him." Roman stated, looking the younger woman in the eye. "I haven't seen him this happy in years."

"He makes me so happy. These last six months with him have been the greatest six months of my life."

"Are you talking about our sex life, Bri?" Dean teased as he sat back down beside her, handing her a cup and she blushed.

"That's your job, Dean." She teased, smiling when Dean put a straw in her cup and made sure that he didn't touch the top of her straw. "Thank you."

"I know how you are, babe."

"Are you OCD?" Seth blurted, earning glares from everyone at the table but the blushing Brielle. Abbey backhanded his arm and Roman reached over to smack him upside the head in unison, something else for the vampire to be vocal about. "What the hell!?"

"Don't be fucking rude!" Abbey scolded, making Brielle laugh.

"It's honestly fine. I'm not OCD, I just don't like it when the part of the straw my mouth touches is touched." She explained, smiling when Dean placed a hand on her thigh. Little did she know that everybody sitting at their booth could hear her heart rate accelerate when he did so.

"Relax, sweetheart." Dean whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek.

"We should all go dance." Elmira suggested, making both Brielle and Dean shake their heads.

"I'm not nearly drunk enough for dancing and she doesn't drink yet, so we're going to pass." Dean stated, pulling Brielle closer when both Roman and Elmira stared him down.

"You sneak her into a club but don't let her drink. That makes no sense." Elmira stated, glaring around Brielle to make eye contact with Dean. The little brunette only shifted to lean more into Dean and he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"You guys are scaring her. Ease up." Dean scolded, glaring at the werewolf couple before sending a wary glance over to Abbey when she licked her lips. Seth noticed this and nudged Abbey, whispering something in her ear before pulling her away.

Once outside, Seth pulled Abbey into the side alley and frantically searched his pockets for what he knew she needed. She leaned against the wall, hyperventilating while she tried to get a grip on her senses. Dean's mate smelled so good to her, and that triggered her need for blood despite having fed recently. Being surrounded by other humans certainly didn't help.

"It's not the same, Seth. It's never the same." Abbey whispered as she took a few deep breaths, staring down the vial he produced from his pocket.

"I know it's not, baby. Believe me, I know." Seth whispered back before uncorking the vial with his teeth and tipping it towards her lips. "But you'll get used to it eventually."

"How long did it take you?" She asked once the vial had been drained and Seth pulled her into his arms.

"A couple months. But I'd been draining humans for decades before I kicked the habit." He stated, remembering the day he lost the woman who he thought was his mate because he had lost control. He knew that if Abbey lost control and went after Brielle, Dean would go ballistic and wouldn't stop until Abbey was killed and there was nothing that Seth could do about it because Abbey was in the wrong. That was the natural order of things in the supernatural community. He just had to take care of her and get her off of the human blood addiction before it could become a problem.

"How?"

"I-" He started to tell her the truth but decided against it, knowing that she wouldn't take the knowledge that he once loved another woman very well. "I knew that Dean would probably click with a human. Sometimes Dean's blood has too strong of a scent for me, since he's partly human, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Abs. It'll take time and a lot of willpower, but I need you to really work on controlling the habit and keeping yourself in check. You know what'll happen if you don't." Seth warned, cupping her cheeks in his hands. "I can't lose you, Abbey. So I need you to get your act straight, alright?"

"I'm trying, Seth."

"I know, baby. I know you are."

When Seth and Abbey had relaxed, they headed back inside to see that Roman and Elmira were sitting in the booth, watching Dean and Brielle closely as they danced in the middle of the dance floor.

"I thought he wasn't drunk enough?" Seth asked and Roman shrugged.

"She pouted and he broke. He hasn't told her anything." Elmira stated, looking to the vampires. "All she knows is that he's a cop and we're his friends."

"Why'd you two leave?" Roman asked, subtly wiping at his lips to alert the blonde that she had blood on her lips.

"She was started on human blood and we've been hunting animals, but Brielle was too much for her." When the platinum blonde looked down at her hands, Seth quickly picked her head up to look at him. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. I was there when he first met her, and I had to leave because she was too much."

"Is there something about mated humans that's...sweeter to you, Seth?" Abbey asked, looking to her mate for confirmation. He nodded once, looking over to see that Dean was watching them closely.

"But you've got to fight it. It's not something you need, it's something you want." He stated, looking to Roman for confirmation. "That's what you used to tell me, right?"

"It is." Roman confirmed, smiling at Seth.

* * *

"Your friends seemed nice." Brielle commented as Dean carried her up to her apartment and he nodded.

"They're more like family to me. Abbey is new to the group, just like you."

"When did she and Seth start dating?"

"Around the same time we first met." He stated, trying to make it sound like he was guessing while he set her on her feet so he could unlock her apartment.

"You're staying tonight, right?"

"Of course." Even if he wasn't staying in her bed, he'd be out on her fire escape because he didn't like leaving her alone. "I've got to work in the morning, though. They're fucking with my shifts."

"But Saturdays are our days, Dean." She stated, almost whining, while they walked to her bedroom and Dean felt his heart start to break with how disappointed she sounded.

"I know, baby, and I know that I promised you we'd have a Godfather marathon and we will. Don't pout at me, Brie." He requested, sighing when she turned her back and pulled her dress off over her head. "You're mad at me?"

"I know it's not exactly something you can control, but it'd be nice if I knew before late Friday night that my boyfriend has to cancel our plans for Saturday." Brielle stated, yelping slightly when Dean suddenly pulled her into him. Her head found its spot against his chest just above his heartbeat and her hands started to work nimbly against the buttons of his shirt.

"I know, sweetheart, and I'm sorry. I just got the text while we were at the club." He explained, making Brielle feel a little bit better since he didn't keep it from her for long. "There's always next weekend."

"You're right." She mumbled, pulling his black dress shirt out of his jeans and started to push it off his shoulders. "But we should go to bed happy, don't you think?"

"I like how you think, sweetheart." Dean whispered huskily into her ear, his hand sliding up to her bra clasp and swiftly undoing the hooks while her hands worked his belt and the button of his jeans. He could smell that she was in heat, and he was instantly driven with the need to be in her.

But then his phone rang.

"Can you leave it?"

"It's work, Brie. Chief is calling in all officers for a meeting." Dean explained, not missing the huff that left his girlfriend. "I'm sorry."

"Just go, super cop." Brielle sighed, watching as he went to her dressers to pull out a tshirt while she got into bed. "Lock the door on your way out."

"I really am sorry, but-"

"Work is work." She finished his sentence, turning her head so that he kissed her cheek. He knew then that she was furious with him, but wasn't in the mood to be vocal about how upset she was.

Dean Ambrose was in the dog house...no pun intended.


	4. Making Up and Awkward Introductions

Brielle woke up the next morning in a bad mood. She knew that she should never go to bed angry, especially with Dean, but she was growing tired of coming second to his job. She knew that he loved her, but her schedule was getting hectic and she just wanted intimate moments with her boyfriend.

So Brielle decided to use her Saturday for good, rather than wasting it moping because she was mad at herself and Dean. She pulled on one of his Deftones shirts and some distressed skinny jeans, tying the shirt in the back so it wasn't a dress on her before putting on her red vans and scribbling a note for Dean just in case he stopped by her apartment after his shift. She knew he'd probably freak out over her walking from her apartment to his, but she didn't like driving alone and she hated public transportation so he'd have to deal with it.

The walk took Brielle about half an hour, but the exercise was great for clearing her thought process and she managed to formulate just how she was going to apologize to Dean for her attitude the night before. But when she walked into his studio apartment to see that his apartment was a mess. Books were all over the place, pizza boxes were stacked on the counter, his bed wasn't made, and he had dirty clothes all over the place. She knew that he had a bad habit of being unorganized, but his apartment was usually clean whenever he invited her over.

"Messy man." She sighed to herself, setting her purse on the coffee table before going over to his stereo set and plugging her phone into the speakers. She started up her cleaning playlist, hitting shuffle and started singing along to Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5. Her first step of her plan of attack was to get all of his dirty clothes off the floor, sorted, and in the washing machine down the hall.

Once that was done she set to putting all the books on the bookshelf in alphabetical order, but paused when she looked at the one open on the coffee table. She picked it up, being sure not to lose the page as she turned the book over in her hand.

"Native American Legends and Lore?" She read the title aloud, tilting her head slightly before going back to the page he was on. "Dean's never mentioned anything about being interested in this stuff. "I could've given him plenty of books I got from my gran." She continued to speak to herself, slipping a piece of notebook paper he had been writing on to serve as a bookmark before putting the book on the shelf with the others.

She then went back to the laundry room, putting his small amount of white clothes in the dryer and his large amount of dark colored clothes in the washer before turning and jumping in shock when she saw a man standing behind her.

"My bad, lass. Ah've seen ye around before, haven't I?" This man standing before her was a bit taller than her Dean, had long brown hair, an obvious Scottish accent, and a charming smile.

"Uh, yeah. I- uh- I'm Dean's girlfriend."

"You're Deano's mate, lass?" The man asked with a chuckle before extending his hand to her. "Ah'm Drew. I live across the hall from Dean."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Brielle."

"The pleasure is all mine, lass." Drew spoke before bringing Brielle's hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss to her soft skin. "Ah'll be leavin' you to your laundry."

"Thank you." Brielle spoke softly, waiting until the door to the laundry room closed behind the Scotsman to wipe her hand off on her jeans. Drew's touch felt weird to her, any man's touch who wasn't Dean felt weird to her if she had to be perfectly honest.

For her own safety, she waited five minutes before going back to Dean's apartment and set to work on cleaning up all the garbage and taking it out to the dumpster outside. Next; she dusted everything, sprinkled summery smelling carpet fresh on the carpet, then vacuumed the carpets. Then she pulled his sheets and took off all the pillowcases before opening the windows and opening the sliding glass door that led to the balcony so air could circulate through the room while she went to the store to pick up food she could cook for him, sending him a text telling him that she had dinner taken care of.

_'Really? What do you have planned baby?'_ She got his reply as she looked at different meats in the department store a few blocks away from Dean's apartment, smiling as she texted him back.

_'Don't worry about it. When are you off?'_

_'Ive still got two hours left on the clock. But I'll let you know if something pops up.'_

_'Thank you. I love you'_

_'I love you too Brie'_

She could almost hear him say those five words in her head and bit her lip as she picked up a package of steaks. She knew that Dean would possibly freak out if he found out how much money she spent just to make him dinner, but she loved him and he was more than worth it to her. But after thinking it over for a minute, she put the steaks back and instead decided to order takeout and get some sparkling cider and cheap champagne glasses because that was more her and Dean's style.

* * *

Once Dean got off work, he stopped by his place to freshen up before he went to Brielle's. What he wasn't expecting was to see his apartment spotless and his girlfriend lounging on his couch with two plates of food on the coffee table, a bottle of what he knew was cider because she couldn't buy alcohol, and glass flutes.

"Hi, Dean." Brielle said softly, standing up and meeting him halfway.

"Hey, sweetheart." He whispered, pulling her into a tight hug. "What's all this?"

"I felt bad for being such a bitch last night so I thought I'd make it up to you with dinner, but then I saw that your apartment was a sty so I cleaned it up for you." She explained, stepping back and placing her palms on his cheeks. His hands stayed on her hips and he smiled down at his mate, amazed by how caring she was.

"Have I ever told you that you're incredible?"

"Maybe once or twice." She giggled, grinning when he lifted her up and forced her to wrap her legs around his waist. His lips found hers in an excited kiss, moving to carry her over to his bed until she broke the kiss. "Wait until after dinner, Officer Ambrose."

He reluctantly set her down, pecking her lips with a smile.

"Let me get out of my uniform and then we can eat, alright?" He asked, stepping into the platform the two called his bedroom and Brielle nodded.

"Meet me on the balcony, baby. Can I have your lighter?"

"Sure thing." Dean mumbled, digging through his pockets until he found his zippo lighter. He casually tossed it over his shoulder to her, smirking to himself when he heard her congratulate herself quietly for catching it. The woman was absolutely adorable in his opinion, and he was certain that would never change.

Dinner flowed smoothly between the two. Dean told her about his long shift, she told him about meeting Drew and how she hoped to never run into him alone again. Dean tried his hardest to keep his temper in check, but Brielle could tell that he was pissed off. Dean was not only protective and possessive, but he also had a temper. So just the thought if her being around another man and made uncomfortable by him was enough to set him off.

"Dean, you never told me that you were interested in Native American culture." She changed the subject, watching as he held a finger up while he chewed his food. Brielle loved that her boyfriend had table manners, since most guys her age didn't and that was a major deal breaker for her.

"It's really only the legends and stuff."

"My gran gave me a whole bunch of books on Navajo legends when she passed, if you're interested."

"You'd really let me look through them?" Dean asked, eyes widened slightly. He was still trying to figure out how exactly he came to be what he was, and the woman who took him in had suggested Navajo legends. The fact that his girlfriend had books from an actual Navajo woman surprised him, but he was taking this as a blessing. Brielle herself was a blessing to him.

"Of course. I know you'll take care of them, babe."

"You're wonderful. Thank you so much."

"It's no big deal. What got you interested in thelegends?" Brielle was naturally curious, he knew this. But he didn't know what to say to her.

"My- uh- adopted mother is big on them and she got me hooked when I was a teenager." That wasn't totally a lie, but he knew that she deserved the truth. She wasn't ready for the truth, and he wasn't ready to take the risk of losing her by telling her what he really was.

"Can I meet her one day?"

"Definitely." She'd have to, since she was his mate. Before Dean could change her, she had to meet his "mother". "Bri, do you know anything about the Navajo language?"

"I know some. Why?"

"Do you know what 'yee naaldlooshii' means?"

"I actually do. My gran used to tell me stories all the time and has a huge book about them. It means 'with it, he goes on all fours', describing a type of Navajo witch."

"Really? That's really interesting." If the Navajo legends were right, he was a type of witch. That was a bit unsettling, but he'd talk to Roman about it.

"Are you working tomorrow?"

"Graveyard. Are you staying tonight?"

"If you'll have me." Brielle spoke with a light blush dusting her cheeks. Dean took her hand in his across the small balcony table, running his thumb across her knuckles.

"Why wouldn't I want you to stay? You did so much for me today, when I didn't deserve any of this. If I took you home, instead of taking you to my bed, I'd be a shitty boyfriend." He spoke, chuckling at the end before bringing her hand to his lips. "Are you done eating?"

"Yeah. I guess I wasn't that hungry." She said, glancing down at her plate in uncertainty. "Which is weird because I didn't really eat today."

"We all have our days, sweetheart." He said as he stood, helping her to her feet before they grabbed their plates and glasses and headed inside.

Once everything was put away, Dean lifted Brielle onto the kitchen counter and pressed his lips to hers in a feverish kiss. Her arms instantly wrapped around his neck and her legs found his waist, pulling him closer to her while his arms wrapped around her body to pull her close. After being interrupted by work the night before, Dean was feeling the pent up desire for his mate and he wasn't letting anything stop him from finding his release. When their mouths parted for air Dean made quick work out of both of their shirts and unbuttoned her jeans while her mouth explored the skin of his neck, nipping and sucking his smooth skin.

"Mark me, baby." Dean requested, knowing that Brielle loved having his mark on her skin and seeing her mark on him. Even though he knew that he was physically unable to stray from her and vis versa, he knew that it gave them both a sense of pride and relief knowing that anybody who got close enough to see the marks knew that they weren't single.

"Right here?" She asked, licking at his collarbone until he nodded and grinning when his breath hitched in his throat while she gently nibbled and sucked at the sensitive skin there.

"Bite me, Bri. You know I can take it." He requested, rubbing her back in an effort to assure her until he felt her mouth move along his collarbone and her teeth break into the skin of her shoulder. "Fuck."

"Did I-"

"You did perfect, baby." He assured, kissing her lips and tasting his blood on her tongue before pulling back to give her the same treatment. He loved how sensitive her skin was, no matter what he did, he always got a reaction out of her.

Dean toed out of his shoes while pulling Brielle's off of her feet, his lips finding her once again and her hands dipping to the waistband of the sweatpants he had changed into. She felt his hands slide up her legs, lingering on her upper thighs for a bit, and to the button of her jeans, quickly unfastening the button and pulling down her zipper.

"Up." He whispered his demand, smirking when she utilized her leg strength to lift herself off of the counter so he could pull her jeans did. "I see our gym days are paying off."

"Shut up and kiss me." She requested, tangling her hands in his blonde curls while her legs unwound from his waist so he could get them off. Once her jeans were off he felt her still sock covered feet on the waistband of his sweats, pushing down his sweats and boxers until they fell into a pool around his ankles.

"Are you wet for me, baby?" Dean asked, ripping yet another pair of her underwear since he was impatient and tossing them to the side. Just as her small hand wrapped around his member one of his long fingers proved her entrance, both parties letting out small moans of pleasure. "I really need to be inside you, baby."

"Take me, Dean." She breathed against his lips, throwing her head back in ecstasy with a loud moan when he slammed into her waiting heat. Dean was being ruthless, not that she minded. She knew he'd probably feel bad about being rough later, but she honestly loved the way he cleared her head when he got rough. Nothing mattered to her but getting off and her love, and she loved being able to just cling to him and let him do all the work. She knew that he didn't mind her receiving, since he always said that sex was his gift to her and she should always just enjoy regardless of what he allowed her to do.

"We're goin' all night, sweetheart." Dean warned after she had, what would be, her first orgasm of the night and she only kissed him. A signal to him that she really didn't mind. "Hold on tight. I really don't want to drop you."

"It'd be a good story, though." Brielle breathed, resting her head on his shoulder and not even minding that she set her head down on his bloody shoulder.

"Very true, princess." He agreed, laying her down on his bed and smiling at his blood being on her face. "I should start calling you my warrior princess, huh?"

"I did it again, didn't I?"

"Yeah." Dean whispered, wiping the blood off of her cheek before kissing her softly, making sure she knew that he was okay with it before he started thrusting into her again.

It would be a long night, but time would fly because the two absolutely adored being around each other. Especially when that time was spent in each other's arms.


	5. We All Make Mistakes

Seth hadn't heard from Abbey in hours, and he knew that he couldn't search her out because she'd get upset over him not having any trust in her. But how could he trust her if she waited until he was asleep to go out and party. But Seth went to the man who was one of his voices of reason. Roman and Elmira had gone out to Florida to visit their "mother", making Dean the only person nearby that he could talk to.

The second he was outside Dean's door he could smell Brielle in there and decided to knock instead of letting himself in with Dean's spare key, knowing that the two could've been indecent. He heard Dean tell Brielle to get the door for him, and her footsteps towards the door until she finally opened it.

"Oh, hi Seth." She looked happy to see him, and that made the vampire happy. Knowing that his brother's mate liked him made him feel a lot better about himself, but he still couldn't wrap his head around why Dean hadn't told her yet.

"Hey, little bit."

"I'm not little." She argued with a playful pout, crossing her arms before he pulled her into a hug.

"Sweetheart, you're tiny." Dean teased, smiling at the fact that she was comfortable around Seth. "Hey man, where's Abs?"

"I wish I knew. I woke up this afternoon and she was gone."

"Gone?" Brielle asked, tilting her head as she watched Seth enter the apartment.

"Poof. All her shit is still in my apartment, so I don't think she left me, but I don't get why she'd wait for me to fall asleep to leave."

"Maybe she just went for a run." Dean suggested, pulling Brielle over to sit on the couch. He was thinking the worst; that Abbey had waited so she could go hunt humans without Seth knowing. If that was the case, Dean couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't get pissed off because now he had a mate and she was human. If Abbey was hunting humans, then Brielle wouldn't be safe around her.

"Abbey hates exercising." Seth reasoned, knowing that Abbey wasn't much of a runner for being a vampire. Dean only nodded, noticing the way Brielle looked between the two of them. She was confused, and he was too, but he couldn't warn Seth with her in the room.

"Bri, can you run down to my car and get Seth's CD out of the glovebox for me?" Dean asked and Brielle looked at him curiously, but nodded and stood.

"Dean, why don't we go get it? I was going to be heading out anyways and I don't want to impose on your time with her more than I already have." Seth suggested as he stood, pulling Brielle into a hug. "I'll see you around little bit."

"Definitely." Brielle said softly as she hugged Seth back, enjoying the way his hold felt protective. Dean had told her that Seth was like a brother to him, so she trusted him.

"I'll be quick." Dean assured, pecking her lips before heading out the door with Seth. "I'm only going to say this once. I don't want Abbey around Bri unless she's kicked the habit."

"I'm with you on that one. I've only been around her three times and I already love her like a sister." Seth agreed, scratching at the back of his neck. "I just wish I knew where the fuck she was."

"When she turns up, like I'm sure she will, you better grill her ass for info."

"If she was out hunting humans I'd know without having to ask. Sensitive nose."

"You're right. I'm working tonight so I'll keep my eyes out for her while I'm on patrol." Dean assured, patting Seth's shoulder.

"Thanks man. I'm just not sure what I'm going to do if she has been. I mean, we've been working so hard together and if she's willing to just throw it all away-"

"We'll work together as a family. Mom helped you kick the habit after...y'know, maybe she can help Abbey."

"You're right. I'll be in touch, Dean."

"Get something to eat, you look kind of pale." The blonde joked, laughing when Seth rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha. I'm gonna get gone so you can go about your night." Seth stated, getting into his car while Dean headed back up the stairs. They never really said official goodbyes, because they never went too long without talking in some form.

* * *

Abbey knew damn well that what she was doing was wrong and would set back all of the progress she had made with Seth. But she still did it. She allowed herself to go seek out the men who could get her the blood that she wanted so badly. She'd go so far as to say that she needed human blood. She may never be allowed around Dean and his mate ever again, should Seth find out, but in her opinion it was more than worth it. She didn't even like being around Dean, anyways. He smelled like dog to her and she hated dogs.

"Abbey Walker." She spoke her name quietly to the homeless looking man guarding the alley entrance to the club she needed.

"Who?"

"Abigail Walker." She clarified with a deep sigh, rolling her eyes at the goblin. He looked her up and down before nodding her inside, watching as the platinum blonde dropped her hood as she jogged down the stairs and knocked on the door.

Once inside she took a cursory glance around the room, seeing plenty of vamps and other blood drinking creatures, but she didn't see who she wanted to see. So she made her way through the club, letting the scent of human blood and the sounds of humans being tortured for their blood flood her senses and drive her to need it more and more. For a brief moment she hated herself for being there and even considered leaving and finding refuge in Seth's arms, but when a struggling human was sliced open to her immediate left she abandoned all thoughts of backing out.

The door to the office of the man she needed to speak to about specific blood that she wanted stared her right in the face, the three H's engraved into the gold plate taunting her. She honestly hated Hunter Hearst Helmsley after hearing stories about him that Seth had told her but he had what she needed and, if he didn't, he could help her get it. So she knocked on the door three times, avoiding eye contact with the tall man who opened the door. His blue eyes piercing through her and his stance demanding her eye contact.

"Abagail. You're looking lovely." Randy greeted, smirk on his face. Abbey honestly wasn't sure if the man wasn't ever smirking, but a vampire as accomplished and untouchable as him had plenty of reason to be smug.

"Mr. Orton. Is Hunter here?"

"Let her in, Randy." She heard the big boss call and Randy stepped aside, allowing Abbey to see the walking scumbag in all his glory. His mate Stephanie sitting on one leg and another woman sitting on his other. Both were nude, save for a collar on both of their necks that attached the two, and that sickened Abbey. "What do you need, Walker?"

"Do you have any blood of mated humans?" She decided to be blunt, ignoring the way Randy's fingers ghosted across her denim clad ass.

"Does Seth know you're here?" Randy whispered in her ear, nipping at her ear sensually. Abbey shook her head, making Hunter grin.

"You want mated human blood? How badly do you want it?"

"Badly."

"Can you pay for it?"

"I can work it off, if that's alright."

"Abigail, you were mated. How can you expect to work it off in the way Randy and I want you to?" Hunter asked, smirking at the way the blonde squirmed under Randy's exploring hands.

"I can do it. Please, Mr. Helmsley."

* * *

After dropping Brielle off at her apartment(taking about twenty minutes to properly say goodbye to her), Dean headed into work and quickly delved into his soon-to-be detective paperwork before going on patrol with his partner. The guy was quiet and they didn't really get along, so Dean kept quiet as he drove unless he saw something weird looking to point out.

But when he saw a familiar head of platinum blonde hair walking down the street with a vampire known for seducing humans and draining them without thinking twice. They called him "The Viper", but Dean called him an idiot. Just like he was calling Abbey an idiot for being anywhere near him and his associates. He casually sent a text to Seth while he drove, alerting his friend that he had spotted Abbey with Orton before letting out a sigh and making a left turn. He didn't know if she'd be mentally able to stray from Seth like this, but he assumed that the addiction was enough to drive her.

Knowing that this woman was willing to break Seth's heart just to get human blood made Dean feel a wife variety of emotions and not one of them was positive. Seth was his brother, his brother who had been through his fair share of hardships and deserved to be happy. If he knew he wouldn't have to explain to his partner why he did it, he'd turn around and bring Abbey in just so he could keep an eye on her. For Seth's sake. But Brielle wasn't going anywhere near Abbey for a long ass time, for his sake.

"What's on your mind?" His partner asked, and Dean noticed that they had been sitting at a green light.

"The detective promotion." Dean lied, easing on the gas as they continued their patrol. "I guess I'm second guessing wether or not I'm cut out for it."

"You're a good cop, Ambrose. If anybody could do it, it'd be you."

"Thanks, man." Coming from a man he'd only had about ten conversations with in his two years on the force, that meant something to him.

After half an hour of driving, they finally got their first call of the night. A robbery-homicide at the gas station two blocks away from Brielle's apartment. He dearly hoped it was coincidental and that his girl was okay, since he had told her to stay inside when he dropped her off. He didn't know what he'd do if she was hurt in any way.

It was a bloodbath in there, and Dean thought back to the night Brielle's parents were killed. It was eerily similar, about as close as a bloodbath could get, he supposed.

"Ambrose, there was a witness." His partner called, pointing to the familiar blonde haired woman.

"Abbey."


	6. Tough Love

Dean had no clue what the detectives were talking to Abbey about, but her case didn't look too good. Her hair was spattered in blood, platinum blonde hair stained red. He called Brielle to tell her that he might not be able to make their Monday morning gym date, but assured her that he was fine while he watch over the crime scene.

He really only wanted to be a detective so he didn't have to guard the crime scene from wandering eyes. Until he saw Orton and Abbey screamed bloody murder.

"That's him!" That's the guy! He did all this!"

Of course, Orton ran and the detectives gave chase, telling Dean and his partner to stay put and keep the media out. It was almost as if they were children being told not to touch the big shiny thing in front of them. Another reason why he couldn't wait to be a detective. Beat cops were treated like children in comparison, and Dean really hated wearing his uniform even though Brielle thought Officer Ambrose was sexy.

What bothered Dean was the direction Randy came from. That street only went to the resident entrance for Brielle's apartment complex. She wasn't the only person living there, obviously since it was a big place, but he couldn't help but be paranoid over every little thing that even seemed coincidental and related to his mate. She was innocent, fragile, a bit on the naive side, and always tried to see the good in people, so he was constantly worried about her giving a couple bucks to some harmless looking bum and and then getting a knife pulled on her.

He just wished that he understood what game Abbey was playing. Now that she was alone sitting in the back of a cruiser, a smirk had settled on her face and Dean narrowed his eyes at her. What reason did she have to smirk? She was a suspect in a serious crime, that definitely wasn't a reason to be smug. Unless...she was a proud accomplice to this horrendous crime because Randy was going to help her out with human blood. The fact that she licked at the blood one of her hands sickened him and he knew that he had to have a very serious conversation with Seth about keeping Abbey as far away from Brielle as possible.

* * *

When the victims of the bloodbath were confirmed, Dean didn't know what to do. Lieutenant Cody Hawk. The man who took him under his wing was ripped to shreds in that gas station and Dean had to sit down when he found out. His cop mentor had been murdered and Abbey had something to do with it. He just knew it.

He wanted to be sick. But instead he sat still while he waited for his shift to be over and then went straight to Brielle's. She'd know how to to make him feel better. She always did.

But, of course, it was a Monday afternoon. Meaning that she was in her child psychology class and probably bored out of her mind. So he took a shower, trying to wash the grief off of his skin, and changed into some dark wash jeans and a plain black wife beater that she had neatly folded in his drawer in her dresser before he flopped onto her couch. He sent her a text asking if she wanted a ride home or wanted to grab lunch together and she quickly gave a positive response to which he grabbed his keys and headed out the door, making sure that everything was locked up tightly before leaving.

When Brielle saw him parked in the parking spot reserved for campus police she couldn't help but smile. Seeing him all relaxed with his body angled toward the door, arm dangling out the open window, cigarette held loosely between his index and middle fingers while his combat boot clad feet were propped up on the dashboard and his head leaned back and absorbed the Las Vegas sunshine.

Dean knew that she didn't think he could see her observing him, but he could. Distressed jeans that had gotten paint splatter on them when they did some paint war thing in a park together to benefit some charity and a black tank top and she was still the sexiest woman to exit that building. When she walked around to the passengers side door of his beat up pickup truck that she was only wearing eyeliner and mascara, and let her long brown hair do its usual wavy thing.

"You look tired." He commented as soon as she was in the truck and she nodded, setting her books on the floor by her feet before scooting closer to him in the cab. "Long day?"

"I didn't get to see you this morning so it was a bit of a bummer. Plus I didn't sleep too well last night."

"No?"

"There was a lot of ruckus in the place next door and then there were sirens and yeah." She explained, yawning a bit at the end of her explanation.

"Yeah, there was a vicious murder at that gas station you usually stop by for coffee."

"Oh my god." Brielle breathed out, looking up at him as Dean started the truck and he nodded. "I saw the tape but just assumed that they got robbed again."

"Bri, I really need you to be more careful when you're not with me." Dean requested as he pulled out of the parking lot, heading to their usual lunch destination. Brielle only looked up at him, resting her head on his arm as he drove. "I'm not trying to scare you, baby, but things around here are getting bad."

"Okay."

"I'm going to teach you some self defense techniques, and how to shoot a gun-"

"I don't want to carry a gun, Dean."

"You don't need to carry one around with you, but I want one locked away in a gun safe under your bed in case you need it." He stated, looking down at her. He hoped to always be there when she needed protecting, but he wasn't always going to be able to be around her and the world was unpredictable. Being overprotective was his best shot at making sure she was safe at all times.

"But-"

"For my own fucking peace of mind, Bri." Dean snapped, taking a moment to calm himself down before opening his mouth to speak again. "A triple homicide, one victim being a cop, took place two blocks away from your apartment. It was a fucking bloodbath and not one of the victims was armed. If somebody was, I'm sure the outcome might have been a bit different. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I need you to understand that I'm not taking any chances with you. I cannot lose you, Brielle Williams, because you're my everything."

"I'm sorry for arguing. I understand where you're coming from, though. Did you know the cop who..." She trailed off when he nodded slowly, his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Oh. I'm so sorry, Dean."

"It's fine, Bri." He dismissed her concern, mustering up the strength to smile at her so she could think he was alright. There was too much on his mind at the moment and he really hoped that she wouldn't get too stuck on how he was feeling. "You look good, today."

"Thank you. I was planning on getting a little dressy, but then you called and I figured that I probably wasn't seeing you today so I figured there was no need."

"You don't have to get all dressed up for me, baby."

"But I like to."

"I know, and I like that." He spoke with a smile, looking over at her when he stopped at a red light. "I'm not saying that I don't like it, I just don't want you to feel obligated to dress up for me."

"That makes sense, but I don't ever feel like I have to dress up for you." Brielle assured, leaning up to kiss his cheek as the light turned green. "I was thinking about dying my hair a lighter brown."

"Please don't." Dean requested, not missing the small pout on her face from his denial.

"You don't think I can pull it off?"

"It's not that. I just like your hair like this." He explained, reaching over and playing with a lock of her hair. "The sun will bleach your hair anyways."

"Things to consider, I suppose." She mumbled, holding a lock of hair in front of her face for an examination.

"But it's your hair, so it's your decision."

"Maybe I'll just get my split ends trimmed. I know you like my hair long."

"I do." Dean mumbled his agreement, making the right turn into their usual lunch spot. "But, again, it's your hair Bri. You'll look beautiful regardless."

* * *

Seth was at the end of his rope. Worrying about Abbey had him mentally drained and he was in desperate need of a quick pick me up. So he was going to head out the door but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her in the doorway, covered in what he knew was human blood.

"Where the hell have you been?" He hissed, scrunching his nose in distaste. She knew that he was really asking rhetorically, since he could smell Randy on her.

"You have to ask?"

"I was hoping you'd try to lie and at less act guilty. Abbey, we were doing so good!"

"You were doing so good, Seth! I can't feed on animals! I need more. I need- I need that spice."

"I can't believe you. What happened to you?"

"I smelled Dean's mate and knew that I had to try it." Abbey whispered, going to sit on the couch but Seth pulled her back.

"You're not sitting on my furniture and getting blood on it. I thought being mated meant that you cared about me just as much as I care about you?"

"I do care about you, Seth."

"Obviously you don't, if you went against my wishes! I was worried sick about you, Abs!" He shouted, shoving her against the wall. As much as his temper was scaring her, Abbey couldn't help but get turned on by his manhandling.

"I can fix this, Seth. I really can. Give me another chance, baby. I can-"

"I can't trust your word. Fuck, I can't even trust you enough to let you out of my sight." He growled, his face centimeters away from hers. "You reek of Orton and Helmsley."

"I had to pay them somehow."

"So you used your body like the slut you are?" He asked, stepping back and releasing her jacket. As a result, Abbey dropped about six inches onto the ground. She didn't even realize that Seth was holding her up. "Answer me."

"I did. I-I- I didn't like it, though."

"No? You didn't like it?" Seth mocked her helpless tone, turning her around and tugging her jeans down. "No underwear on the naughty slut?"

"Randy kept them."

"Oh, that sick fuck gets to keep my mate's panties?" Seth asked as he put two fingers into her entrance. "And you're so wet already. You must love being treated like the slut that you are."

Abbey tensed when she heard Seth undo his jeans and the rustle of them lowering before he slammed into her. As uncomfortable as she was with how rough he was being, she couldn't help but moan in pleasure at the hard fucking she was receiving. She felt his hand come into contact with the flesh of her backside and cried out, not expecting Seth to spank her.

"Did I say the slut could make noise?" He growled into her ear before straightening his body and pulling her head back by her hair. When she stayed silent, his hand made contact with her other cheek. "Answer me."

"No."

"No what?"

"No, Seth."

"Incorrect." Seth growled, spanking her again and chuckling when he saw the tears run down her face.

"No, Sir?" He didn't like her questioning tone, but released her hair before focusing solely on getting himself off. Abbey couldn't control the moans coming out of her mouth and whimpered when he pulled out. "Seth?"

"You don't deserve my cum, slut. Get cleaned up and throw those clothes out, seeing you like this is disgusting."

Without Seth holding her up, Abbey fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. She wasn't going to try fighting the tears any longer. Seth was right and she was disgusted with herself for allowing her addiction to push her to stoop so low. She laid there while she listened to him move around their apartment and soon the shower was started so she used the time to do as he said and then sat in the hallway naked while she waited for him to finish in the shower. His quiet groans told her that he was finishing himself off before getting himself clean and she rest her head back on the wall.

When Seth stepped out of the shower he knew that Abbey was sitting in the hall waiting for the shower and wasn't mentally prepared to face her after his act of douchebaggery. He felt bad about how he treated her, but he knew that he couldn't be soft with her anymore. If she wanted to be with him, she'd realize that he wasn't going to stand for her bullshit anymore. She wasn't going to kick the habit until she realized that he wasn't going to stand by and let her destroy the bonds he had with Dean because Brielle was human and Abbey refused to kick the habit.

"Seth-"

"No. We'll talk about this when I get back." He cut her off, stepping over her legs and heading into the bedroom. He got dressed quickly and watched as she slowly made her way into the bathroom. "If you're not here when I get back, Abigail, there will be some serious repercussions."

"I understand. I love you, Seth."

"You've got a funny way of showing it, Abbey."

* * *

**A/N: I really hope this last tidbit of smut wasn't too terrible. If anybody has any constructive criticism I would love to hear it. Please and thank you.**


	7. Nights Like This

"She goes nowhere near Bri." Dean demanded into the phone for the fourth time that night. Seth's sigh on the other line alerted Dean to the fact that the younger man was hurting, but Dean didn't know how to fix it. The only thing that could heal Seth's pain was Abbey, but Seth wanted nothing to do with her right now. "Seth, maybe you should go see-"

_"I can't."_

"Take Abbey to go see her. She helped you, she can help Abbey."

_"She's going to get mad at me for how I treated Abbey."_ Dean tentatively looked back to where his mate was sleeping soundly in bed, exhausted from their earlier events, before getting up from his seat at the foot of the bed and searching out his briefs and jeans.

"What did you do?" He asked around a cigarette, taking it out of his mouth so he could brush Brielle's hair out of her face and kiss her head before padding out to her balcony as he listened to Seth ramble about his earlier encounter with Abbey. Dean had seen Seth do some off the wall things, but he never would've thought that he had the stomach to do that to Abbey. Seth was a sweetheart these days, but Dean could understand being pushed to a limit and snapping. Even he had snapped and gave it to Brielle roughly after she pushed his buttons when she knew he had a long day at work.

_"... I feel like shit for it, man."_ Seth finished and Dean sighed, taking a slow drag of his cigarette.

"First off, you've gotta apologize for snapping and assure her that it'll never happen again as long as she doesn't go back to those assholes." The blonde started, ears perking when he heard his mate stirring. "Then you've got to get Abbey to Florida and let her help. If anybody could help Abbey, it's the mother of all hardasses."

_"You're right. What do I do if she goes back to Orton and Trips?"_

"Fuck, Seth, I dunno." Dean breathed, putting out his cigarette when he heard Brielle get out of bed. "Bri's up, so I gotta get back to bed. Call and ask for advice. Talk to Roman, since he's down there."

_"Alright. Thanks, man."_

"Not a problem." Dean stated before hanging up, feeling Brielle's arms wrap around him. "Hey, baby."

"Was it work?"

"Nah, it was just Seth. I'm not leaving you tonight, believe it or not." He's spoke with a smile, turning in her arms and picking her up. As if it were instinct, her legs locked around his waist and her arms wound around his neck. The two spent a moment just looking at each other before Dean carried her inside, gently dropping her onto the bed. "Get some rest, sweetheart, you've got class in the morning."

"I know." She spoke softly, watching as he set his phone down on her nightstand and shifted to lay behind her. "Is everything alright with Seth?"

"He and Abbey got into a fight and he wanted advice. Unfortunately, I wasn't really sure how to help." He explained, pulling the comforter up and over their bodies before wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Too tight?"

"Just right."

"You can go to sleep, Bri. I'll be here in the morning." He whispered in her ear and Brielle smiled, leaning into him. She wasn't sure where she'd be or what she'd do if Dean Ambrose hadn't walked into her life when he did. She actually wasn't sure that she'd even be alive today if he wasn't there for her when she was in desperate need of somebody to talk to. Dean had become her anchor, and she couldn't picture life without him and his cool attitude keeping her safe, sane, and sexually sated.

* * *

Florida was one of Roman's favorite places to be. Of course he and Elmira made their home in Utah, but he'd always feel at home in the sunshine state. Elmira wasn't a huge fan of the heat, but she suffered silently for her mate's sake. She knew that he knew that she wasn't a fan, and she knew that he appreciated her lack of complaints while they were on their little vacation.

She wished that the others were there in Florida with them, but she knew that Brielle wouldn't be here until Dean was ready to expose the truth to her and Seth and Abbey were going through issues. She was certain that she and Brielle would've gotten along swimmingly while shopping about in little boutiques and shops, and Abbey would've fit in there somewhere. But Dean wasn't telling Brielle his little secret any time soon and Abbey couldn't get off human blood.

"Why do you think Dean hasn't told her yet?" Elmira asked Roman as they walked along the beach together. Her mate shrugged, having thought about this topic long and hard ever since meeting the small human and seeing how happy she made his brother.

"Maybe he's afraid that she's not mentally prepared for all this? She's only nineteen, currently in college, and Vegas is going nuts with crime. The last thing she really needs on her mind is knowing that the monster under her bed was real all this time." Roman suggested, looking out at the water. The moon wasn't full and he was appreciative, preferring to spend his full moons in a forest somewhere rather than out in the open. The sunrise was gorgeous over the water, and it was a pretty romantic scene for the two of them.

"But Abbey-"

"Dean would get Brielle to move across the country before he told her about our world before he felt she was ready. He still doesn't fully understand what he is or what all he can do." He reasoned, looking down at Elmira. She only nodded and leaned into him, resting her head on his arm. "Just give him time."

"Alright. I just want him to be happy, Roman." Elmira said softly, hazel eyes meeting his grey orbs. They both understood what the other was feeling, both wanting Dean to be happy like he deserved.

"He is happy. He'll definitely be happier once he tells her, but he's happy with how things are now."

"I want us to be a family." Elmira whispered, kicking at the sand and avoiding eye contact with her mate. Roman knew that this conversation was going to come up again sooner or later, he was hoping for later because he hated to upset his mate.

"We are a family, 'Mira. Just because Abbey is fucking up and Brielle doesn't know what we are, that doesn't mean we're not a family."

"I'm not talking about them, I'm talking about us." She clarified, stopping her walking and removing herself from Roman when he sighed.

"Elmira, we have a very limited time window when it comes to conception. You know this. Next year we'll try again."

"What if it's different because I'm not totally werewolf? You said it yourself that something was off during the change."

"But we fixed it, Elmira. Can we drop the subject?"

"I don't want to drop the subject, Roman. I want a kid."

"You spent our conception season being upset with me for wanting to get busy, it's not my fault that you didn't let me near you for a month and a half." Roman growled, eyes narrowing at his mate. He loved Elmira to pieces but she had a bad habit of pushing every button he had at the worst possible times. "Next year, we'll go at it like fucking rabbits if that's what you'd like."

"That doesn't sound like you want it as much as I do." Elmira muttered, to which Roman tackled her onto the sand and nuzzled his face into her neck.

"I'm getting fired of this bullshit, 'Mira." He whispered, nipping her earlobe gently. "You know I want us to have a family of our own. We've talked about this."

"I just wish things weren't so limited." She whined, wrapping her arms around Roman's neck so he would pull her up with him when he sat up.

"Me too, baby. We'll get passed this." He assured, kissing her throat. "We can always practice."

"Here?"

"Where else?" He asked with that playful smirk he knew she couldn't deny, gently tugging at the shorts she was wearing.

* * *

Abbey was sitting in their bed, waiting for Seth to come back. Her throat burned, her mouth was dry, she couldn't see straight, and her senses were hypersensitive. She was going through withdrawals and she desperately wanted to go out, but she sat and waited for him. She never wanted him to treat her like that again while she was unwilling so she'd do whatever she needed to to make him happy.

When the front door opened she made no move to greet him, but flinched when the door shut. Add a headache to her list of symptoms.

"Abbey!?"

"Shut up." She groaned, falling back and covering her ears. Seth knew too well what she was going through, and his mind was already made up for the both of them.

"I'm going to pack our bags and then we're going to Florida." He whispered, giving a cursory scan over her body. There were bruises there that he knew he wasn't responsible for, but some he probably was responsible for and he hated seeing her like this. He felt like a monster and knew that he was going to get his ass kicked six ways to Sunday for letting this happen to her, but he'd take the punishment. He deserved it.

"Why Florida?"

"You can't be in Vegas and right now Dean and I want you as far away from his mate as possible."

"What's so special about her?"

"She's human and my brother's mate. Nothing is going to happen to her if I can help it." Seth explained, tossing his suitcase on the bed. "Hope you're up for a road trip."

"Yay." The bitter sarcasm wasn't hard to hear, but Seth didn't care. This wasn't about what she wanted, this was about what was best for them as a couple. So he was going to force animal blood down her throat to ground her and then they'd hit the road. Because being in Florida was best for her, which was best for him.

"Get dressed, Abs." Seth instructed, pulling out his phone to text Dean.

_'We're going to Florida. I'll keep you updated on Abbey's condition.'_

_**'Thanks man. I hope she kicks it.'**_

_I should call ahead._ Seth thought to himself, watching his shaking mate struggle with her jeans. They needed to take his one day at a time. You couldn't rush recovery, and he had to make sure she was as isolated as possible while she detoxed.

Dialing the phone number he knew all too well, he was nervous to hear what she had to say to him. It had been a while since he last called, so he knew that he was in for a condescending tone and short answers from her until she saw him in person and slapped him upside the head for not checking in.

_"Seth."_

"Mom. Is your basement still...?"

_"Seth Rollins, you didn't-"_

"Not for me. For my mate." He quickly defused that bomb, not wanting to get lectured on how hard she worked to get him clean. The woman could go on for hours when it came to lecturing her "children".

_"Of course. You guys driving?"_

"Yeah. As non stop as we can go."

_"I'll be ready."_


	8. Old Friends

It was a Friday night and Dean had to work so he told her to go out with her friends and have a good time. She was really wary about going to a club, but eighteen and up meant eighteen and up and one of her friends said that Enrique Iglesias partied there, so why not? Dean had promised to answer his phone if she called and promised to pick her up and take her home if she wasn't feeling the club scene and wanted to go home before all her friends did.

She told herself that she was only going for Dean, but somewhere in her head she was excited to not hang out with her boyfriend for once. She loved Dean, but it was nice to go out without that protective boyfriend so she could test just how well she could defend herself if necessary. If she didn't do too well she'd take off her heels and start running, since she had a key to Dean's apartment that was only a couple blocks away and he was on her speed dial. She knew her plan b should always be "run away and call Dean for help" but until he started teaching her self defense like he wanted, all she had was the ability to kick somebody in the groin and run like a child.

"Ellie, what are you drinking?" Her friend Tiana asked, and Brielle sighed.

"Coke."

"Lame." The perky blonde chided, but went to the bar to get her drink of choice regardless. Brielle just sat at the table, eyes watching the club scene and remaining blissfully unaware of the fact that she was being watched from the other side of the club. Her phone beeped from where it was tucked away in her bra and she checked to see that it was a text from Dean.

_**'What club are you at?'**_

_'__That one by your apartment.'_

_'**Come to my place after your adventure. And remember to be safe while you have fun.'**_

_'__I will.'_

"Texting Dean?" Tiana asked when she returned and Brielle nodded as she tucked her phone away. "You're so totally smitten with him."

"He's an amazing guy. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have a guy like him." She spoke before taking a drink of her glass. "The fuck is this?"

"Coke...with a wee bit of rum in it. Live a little, Ellie. Just because your boyfriend is a cop doesn't mean that you're not allowed to break the law."

Brielle knew that if she went to Dean's drunk then he would get mad at her. She wasn't legally old enough to drink and he didn't want her in any situations that could compromise her thinking when he wasn't there to protect her. But he told her to have fun and one drink wouldn't kill her or get her trashed. He told her to have fun.

"You're right."

* * *

A goblin and shapeshifter sat up in the rafter on other side of the club, watching the pretty little brunette and her little human friends have a good time. Even with all the people and the perfume she was wearing they both smelled him. Their old running buddy.

"You think he's fucked her?" The pale goblin asked, looking over to the shape shifter while pointing his blade at the human.

"This is Mox we're taking about. Of course he's fucked her." The shape shifter reasoned, looking over to his black haired friend.

"Do you think she's a screamer?" The only response he got was a shrug, and the goblin shrugged his shoulders too. "I wonder if he's fucked her mouth."

"Do you only think about sex, Callihan?"

"And blood. Knives are fun, too." He spoke, turning his blade over in his hands. "Oh they're going to start grinding on each other." He sang, standing from his seat and carefully moving along until he was perched right over the little brunette.

"She reeks of Mox." The shifter complained, looking almost depressed at the continuous mention of their old friend.

"Chin up, Drake. We snag her, then we can get him back." The goblin spoke, hand sliding over his crotch as his eyes remained fixated on her chest. "Fuck, she's perfect for Mox."

"I guess you're right." Drake reasoned, not bothering to comment on the goblin's inability to control his urges. He only listened to the faint groans and muttered curses that were aimed at the little brunette who smelled like the man who was once their friend.

"My cum would look so good on her, Drake."

"Mox would kill you and wouldn't think twice about it, Sami. You can't just defile his mate like that."

"Whatever." Drake looked over to see that his friend actually had his cock out and was slowly pleasuring himself to the sight of their old friend's mate.

"I'm going to go talk to her."

"About what?"

"None of your damn business. Just keep touching yourself, it's the only damn thing you're good at." Drake stated as he stood and walked away from his friend.

* * *

Brielle was tipsy and having a good time when a pair of hands gripped her hips lightly. She thought nothing of it and continued to grind with the mysterious man, Tiana mouthing to her that he was cute. He could be "cute" by any standards, but he couldn't be Dean. She was just trying to dance and have a good time before going to Dean's to crash and be taken care of the next morning by her boyfriend.

"I'm Drake."

"I'm Eleanor." Dean had always told her to use a fake name in the club when talking to strangers. The fact that she remembered that had her pretty proud of herself.

"Nice to meet you. What's it going to take to get your little ass in the backseat of my car?"

"I have a boyfriend, so there's nothing that could get me to do that."

"That's a shame. What kind of man lets his girlfriend out on a Friday night?" Drake asked, his hands traveling north until Brielle pushed them back down.

"The kind who's a cop and will kick your ass." She stated, stepping away from him and whispering in Tiana's ear that she was going to Dean's. Brielle figured that Drake was going to be persistent and already had her phone out and Dean's number dialed by the time she was outside.

"What's up, baby?"

"Can you come get me? This guy creeped me out."

"Two minutes. Stay on the phone." That authoritative tone she loved so much came out and Brielle slowly started walking down the street. She was constantly glancing behind her and accidentally bumped into somebody.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry." She quickly apologized and continued to hurry down the street when she looked back and saw Drake.

"Where are you goin' in a hurry, darlin'? We haven't had any fun yet." The man she bumped into spoke as he grabbed her wrist and her eyes widened at the strength he had.

"Let me go." Her request only made him smile and hold her tighter, bringing tears to her eyes at how much pain she was in.

"Bri!" Dean called down the street and she saw both Drake's and his friend's eyes brighten and the grip on her wrist tightened. She could've sworn that she heard a snap in there, but she definitely felt the pain. Did they know Dean? How could her boyfriend associate with monsters?

"Mox! We found you!" The shorter one cheered as Dean came closer and pulled Brielle from his grasp. She looked up at her boyfriend as he stared at the two, his expression unreadable.

"I don't know who the fuck you two are, but if I see you around my girlfriend again I'll kill you myself." He warned before gently grabbing her hand and leading her away, his free hand ready to go to his pistol that was tucked into his waistband.

The whole walk was spent in silence, Brielle wanting to wipe her tears away but her wrist hurt too much to move it and Dean had her other hand in his. He kept glancing behind them until they got into his apartment complex, and then he lifted her into his arms to carry her up the stairs. She pressed her face into the side of his neck as she cried silently, the fear and pain coursing through her body taking over and making her feel weak.

"I'm here, baby. You're safe." He whispered as he opened the door to his apartment and carried her in. "You're safe."

"I was so scared."

"I know, Bri. But I'm here now. You're safe with me."

"Did you know those men?" She asked as he sat her down on the bed and he shook his head before pulling off his shirt and handing her phone back. She hadn't even realized that he had taken it from her in the first place.

"They must have me mistaken for somebody else." He lied, feeling bad for lying to her face about something serious like this. "Let me see your wrist."

"It hurts so bad, Dean." Brielle whispered, shutting her eyes tightly when he gently pulls her arm towards him. She could picture the frown on his face as he gently prodded the already bruising skin and she fought the urge to cry some more.

"It's probably broken, Bri."

"What do we do?"

"I can take care of it here. Let get you showered, first, and then we'll work on that." Dean decided, helping her to her feet and unzipping her dress. He sat her back down and took care in taking off both of her heels before he pulled the pins out if her hair and led her into the bathroom the grab the makeup remover wipes he had for when she stayed the night.

He was trying so hard to make up for failing her, and fighting the urge to track down Sami and ram his face into a brick wall until he decided that the twisted little shit could die. And Drake, Dean could smell the shifter all over his mate and that sickened him. Brielle was his mate and was only allowed to smell like herself with a hint of Dean Ambrose. Nobody else. Especially not Drake Younger or Sami Callihan.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Never. I'm mad at them for manhandling you like this. You did what you were supposed to do, Bri, and I'm so proud of you." He assured as he started the shower, getting it just how she liked it. "Make sure you scrub really well, you smell like that dick's cologne."

"Can you get my back before you do anything else?" She asked as she stepped in the shower and Dean nodded, grabbing her frilly pink loofah and the organic material body wash she used that made her smell like grapefruit. He was gentle, but thorough, when it came to washing her and making sure that he couldn't smell Drake Younger or Sami Callihan on his mate any longer. It was only then that he handed the loofah over and kissed her lips before exiting the bathroom.

He was so disappointed in himself for not being there with her. If he had just told her to come over and read through books on skin walkers with him then they'd probably be having mind blowing sex right now instead of him fixing up an icepack for her and her crying in the shower. He failed her, and wouldn't be letting her out of his sight if he could help it. Now that Sami and Drake knew where he was and that he had a mate, they'd want to intervene.

He had to get Brielle out of Vegas and far away from the city, but he had no clue how. She had a life here. She was going to school and she was working on her future. She wouldn't just throw it all away when he couldn't even come up with a good reason other than the truth he was desperately trying to hide her from.

* * *

Brielle watched as Dean read one of the books she had given him. He had such amazing focus on tasks and watching him read while shirtless was fine for her. Especially when her head was in his lap and he was playing with her hair while he read. His thighs were comfortable and his body was warm like it always was and she felt safe.

Her wrist was throbbing but after icing it for a while Dean had wrapped it with some wrap he had around his apartment. She could tell that he was in a mood and opted not to speak to him and accidentally put him in a worse mood. She knew that he wasn't mad at her, but she could tell that he was mad about something. She was tempted to get him to release his frustrations on her through sex, but she was almost certain that he wouldn't want to risk hurting her.

"Are you caressing my leg for a reason, baby?" Dean asked and Brielle shrugged, bringing her uninjured hand up to rest on his stomach.

"I dunno." She mumbled, smiling when he closed the book to look down at her. "What do you think?"

"I think you're trying to bring somebody to attention." He suggested, pushing her hair back and caressing her cheek.

"I just don't want you to go to bed angry, Dean." Brielle said as she sat up, bringing her hand up to massage his chest.

"I don't want to hurt you Bri." He whispered, gentle frown settling on his face when she moved to straddle his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he felt her hips grind into his, forcing him to shut his eyes to regain some control of himself.

"How could you hurt my wrist when it's up here and what we both want is down there?" She whispered, gently nipping at his collarbone.

"I wasn't talking about your wrist, Brielle."

"Baby, I can take it."

"Last time you said that, you were in bed all day the next day." Dean reminded, gently kneading her thighs in an effort to stop her from grinding into him and getting him harder. If anything, he only further encouraged her and groaned when he felt her tongue on the sensitive skin where she had bitten him the week before.

"You don't work tomorrow, so you can be in bed with me." She reasoned, nipping at that spot and mentally congratulating herself when he picked her up and carried her to his bed. He gently tossed her onto the mattress and hovered over her, licking his lips at the sight of his girlfriend.

"You've got one last shot to back out, Bri." Dean warned, slowly unbuckling his belt and undoing his jeans to give her a chance to think through what exactly she was asking for. When she shook her head and pulled at his briefs. "You're sure?"

"Fuck me, Dean Ambrose." Brielle demanded, undoing the drawstring of her pajama pants with her bad hand before he gently moved it above her head. She got the point and left it there, letting him undress her from that point forward.

* * *

"What are they doing?" Sami asked Drake, who was watching the couple with binoculars. The two were perched on a rooftop across the street from Dean's apartment complex, trying to figure out how Dean kept a small human around him all the time.

"They're fucking." Drake commented, pushing at Sami when the goblin reached for the binoculars.

"I wanna watch."

"That's fucking gay, Callihan." Drake chided, swatting at the goblin again. "He's pounding that pussy, too. Fuck that little bitch can take a cock."

"It's not like Mox is small, either."

"How do you know how big he is?" Drake asked, looking away from the binoculars to see Sami's flushed cheeks. "Are you gay for Mox?"

"The man is attractive, but I'm not gay for him."

"How the fuck do you know how big he is?" Drake asked, playfully throwing the binoculars at Sami's head and wincing when he shrieked loudly. "He fucking heard that. What the fuck, Callihan!?"

"Don't be throwing shit!" O

* * *

Brielle stopped Dean when she heard the loud screech and he looked back at the window. He only knew one person who sounded like that and he was a bit upset at the fact that he was being watched now.

"Was that a cat?"

"Do we care? We hear cats all the time, Bri."

"But that one sounded hurt." She argued, sighing at the exasperated sigh that left her boyfriend when he pulled out. But she let it go and turned onto her stomach, pushing her ass towards him.

"I thought you wanted to check on the cat?" Dean asked, taking the round globes into his hands.

"I want you to fuck me more." She stated, moaning as he thrust into her and pulled her up against him.

"You love it when I fuck you like this?"

"Fuck yes." Brielle moaned, resting her head on his shoulder as his hips bucked into hers. Having one hand massaging her breast and the other stimulating her clit while he had his way with her was pure heaven to her.

Dean's mind wasn't totally focused on pleasing his mate. He was proving a point to the two he used to hang out with before he was found by Seth and Roman. He was showing them that she was his mate and his alone, and that he didn't need them anymore. He was happy without those two, and he hoped that they got the message. He knew that they probably wouldn't, because they had thick skulls, but he'd knock their asses around by himself if he had to. Nobody was going to hurt his mate and get away with it. He just felt bad for the two when he got a hold of Seth and Roman and told them about it.

They were going to pay.


	9. Intimate

Seth sat in the living room, staring down his mother while Abbey's screams of pure agony could be heard from the basement. The withdrawals were much worse than when he was locked in the bunker, so he wasn't sure what she had in her system that was making her hurt so badly. He wanted to go hold her in his arms and assure her that she'd be okay, but he knew that she needed the isolation at the moment.

"I thought you said that you had her under control?" Roman asked, looking at Seth from where he sat at the small kitchen table. Elmira was still fast asleep upstairs, but he wasn't sure how she was managing to sleep through Abbey.

"I did. I dunno what happened. She says that it's because she smelled Brielle, but-"

"Who's Brielle?" Their mother asked and Seth looked to Roman before looking back to the older woman who only looked to be about fifty.

"Dean's mate. She's human and he's keeping all this from her for some reason." Roman explained and their mother nodded as she stood from her seat and walked over to the fireplace. Both Seth and Roman followed suit, knowing exactly what she was going to do when she pulled dust from the small jar with Dean's name engraved on it and muttered something in Latin before throwing the dust into the fire.

It took a few seconds for the view to become clear to the three creatures, but when it did they saw Dean and Brielle in his bed and probably having sex. They saw a single thrust on Dean's end before he stilled and pushed her hair away. It then became clear to Seth that Dean was taking his time to take her in, not just getting straight to fucking her like he expected.

"She's injured." Their mother spoke quietly, watching closely as Dean began rubbing her back. "If you look closely you can see goblin marks that aren't going to heal on their own. He's going to have to bring her here."

"He's not going to want to, because that'll mean telling her the truth about what we are and telling her that Abbey wants to drain every drop of blood out of her." Seth rambled, throwing his arms in the air as he plopped back onto the couch. "She'll never want to be around any of us ever again."

"Or she'll be cool with it because it means that she'll get to have forever with Dean." Roman suggested, looking back at the vampire he considered a brother. "She's obviously not safe there and he knows that, so he's got to stash her somewhere until he figures out where they'll go."

"One of you call him and tell him that I said she needs to be here as soon as possible." Their mother demanded, looking between her two sons. Roman nodded first, wordlessly volunteering for the task before heading upstairs and leaving Seth to sit with their mother.

"Seth, you've been acting like it's your fault that Abbey lost control."

"It is my fault. I should've-"

"She did this all on her own and you're trying to help her. There's no shame in any of this on your end." She cut him off, gently resting her hand atop Seth's two-toned head before kissing his forehead. "I got you to give it up, I'll get her to break the habit."

"Is it smart to have her and Brielle under that same roof?"

"You know damn well that the only way out of that room is on our side of the door." She reminded as she walked into the kitchen to get some tea as a yawning Elmira came down the stairs.

"Is Roman seriously trying to convince Dean to bring Brielle here?" She asked, gratefully accepting the cup of tea before sitting down at the table.

"The girl is hurt, otherwise I would've allowed Dean to keep living up this charade for as long as he felt necessary." Their mother reasoned, gently patting Elmira's shoulder as Abbey's wails increased in volume.

"Is there no way to mute her?" The werewolf asked, sipping at her tea and looking between Seth and their mother.

"Not one."

"Fuck."

* * *

Dean was woken by his phone ringing and sighed, just wanting to stay intimately connected to Brielle like he was. There was something about the fact that he fell asleep before pulling out of her that made his cock stir and he could feel himself involuntarily thrust into her just to test the waters. Brielle made a small noise, he wasn't sure if it was pleasure or protest, so he knew that she was still fast asleep. He gently pushed her hair to the side and leaned in to sniff at the base of her neck. When the smell of grapefruit and his own natural scent filled his nostrils he smiled, gently nipping at her skin before dragging his tongue along her shoulder to the bite mark he left on her shoulder. As much as he wanted to sink his teeth into her, he knew that would wake her up and decided against it. She could be grumpy when he woke her up because he had an insatiable appetite for her, and he didn't really want to deal with it.

His phone started ringing again and he instantly ignored it, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently massaging them. Another noise left her slightly parted lips and he abandoned her shoulders, gently dragging his hands down the soft skin of her back to her ass, placing a hand on each cheek.

"You perfect little thing, you." Dean whispered as he gently kneaded her skin in his hands. Moments where he could just admire and worship her body were moments that he lived for, and the fact that he was still buried inside her made it all so much more perfect to him. It was so intimate, even though she was still fast asleep and wasn't going to remember it.

But all good things came to an end and his end was met when his phone rang again. He saw Roman's name light up the screen and sighed, knowing that it was probably important.

_"What the hell were you doing that you ignored my calls?"_

"You see, when a man loves a woman very much they-"

_"Ambrose." _Roman cut him off, his tone authoritative and telling the blonde that he meant business.

"I've been worshipping my mate, happy? What do you want?"

_"Mother wants to meet her newest child." _Dean always appreciated that Roman didn't beat around the bush. It made for short phone conversations.

"Not yet. I'm not ready."

_"I hate to tell you this sunshine but that goblin did a serious number on her and mother says that she can heal it faster."_

"Fuck." Dean whispered, throwing his head back and shutting his eyes tightly. "Fuckin' Callihan."

_"Callihan and Younger were there?"_

"They must've smelled me on her and cornered her. I got to her before things got really bad." The blonde explained, moving his free hand up her body to rub her back. "I fucked up and let her go out alone."

_"Bring her to Florida, Dean. She has to know now that she's been attacked."_

"Alright. Thanks, man." Dean spoke before handing up, setting his phone back down before looking at her wrist. He could see the severe discoloration of her skin, since she opted to not sleep in the bandage, and it made him sick that it was his fault it happened. But he was going to make it up to her in the only way he knew how. He just had to sit and wait for the invitation to start.

And he got it when her uninjured arm came back and her hand pulled her cheek away from the other.

"Come on, Dean." Brielle requested and Dean smirked, leaning forward and taking her shoulder into his mouth as he started out with slow, gentle thrusts. The breathy moan that left her lips was enough to tell him that she was in a good spot so he sunk his teeth into her skin she he adjusted angle, getting a scream out of his mate with the rough treatment.

"Mine." He reminded, continuing his fast paced thrusts when she nodded.

"All yours, Dean. Fuck, right there."

* * *

"Well...?" Seth asked when Roman came back downstairs and the werewolf nodded, sitting down at the table with Seth and Elmira.

"Younger and Callihan tracked Dean down. That's who hurt her."

"I'll kill the sons of bitches." Seth stated, clenching his fist on the table. "Limb from limb."

"And we will. Let Dean get her here and healed up, and we'll take care of it." Roman stated, placing his hand on Seth's fist. "Let's worry about how we're going to make this as panic free for Brielle."

"Shutting up Abbey should be priority one." Elmira suggested, looking back to the basement door. "The last thing Dean needs is for Brielle to think that we're running a torture chamber."

"Very true." Seth agreed, drumming his fingers on the table. As much as the drumming was bothering the two werewolves, neither stopped him because they knew that was how he handled his stress. Abbey's addiction had been stressing Seth out and hearing her cry for him certainly wasn't helping. Add in the fact that Brielle was attacked and Seth was in a bad way.

"Seth, go for a run or hunt or something." Their mother instructed, looking to her youngest with a small smile.

"What if-"

"Abbey is sealed up tight and Dean isn't going to be here for a couple days. Go calm yourself down." Roman reasoned, Elmira nodding her agreement with a smile.

"We've got things handled here." She assured, tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "Put yourself first for once, Sethie."

"Alright. I'll have my phone on me though."

"We'll call if anything comes up." Their mother assured, fixing Seth's bun. "Get out of here."

"Thanks, you guys." Seth called before jogging out of the house. Roman took the vampire's seat and Elmira moved to sit in his lap, both looking to their mother.

"We're not calling him are we?" Elmira asked, smiling when the older woman shook her head.

"Seth is always putting himself last and blaming himself for everything. We're giving him a vacation." Roman spoke with a smirk, rubbing Elmira's thigh sensually. "He's probably going to be pissed when he comes back, but he was relaxed for at least a day."


	10. Road Trip

Brielle was confused.

She watched from Dean's bed as he moved around his apartment, throwing a bag together. She saw both her clothes and his go into the bag, and then watched as he pulled out all of their camping gear and put it into a bag of its own.

"Sweetheart, get dressed." Dean instructed, looking to his girlfriend for the first time that morning. "I know that none of this makes sense, but please trust me and get dressed. We need to be on the road in twenty minutes."

"Anything in particular?"

"Something you could run in if we needed to ditch the truck." He suggested and her eyes widened.

"Why would we need to run?" She asked, slowly getting out of bed and walking towards him. "Dean."

"Once we're in the truck and on the road, I will tell you everything you want to know." Dean stated, lightly grasping her forearms. His touch was always consoling to her, but the look in his eyes told her that she should be just as afraid as he was. "I promise."

They stood there holding onto each other and looking into each other's eyes for a moment. Not a word was uttered between them, Dean trying to silently convey to her just how much he loved her. Brielle gave a slow nod of her head, not sure what all she was agreeing to but agreeing nonetheless. He smiled and kissed her forehead, whispering a promise to her before letting her go to get dressed.

It was a hot day, and Brielle definitely wasn't regretting wearing her short jorts. She knew that Dean would regret wearing dark wash jeans, but it would be alright in the end. He'd get hot and change at their next stop. That's what he always did.

"Dean, what's going on?"

"We're going to Florida, but stopping along the way to camp for a night or two."

"What's in Florida?"

"Family." Dean stated simply, his eyes never leaving the road. She hated how distant he was suddenly acting and it was scaring her.

"Did you know those guys from last night?"

"Yeah. They were- uh- old friends of mine."

"Old friends?" She repeated, tilting her head in confusion. He let out a deep sigh, lightly drumming on the steering wheel before answering.

"I was a bad guy before I became a cop, Bri."

"How bad?"

"Really bad."

"Bank robber bad?" She asked quietly, eyes widening when Dean chuckled.

"I'd say worse. I've never robbed a bank, sweetheart."

"Can you further elaborate?"

"I was a sick guy, Bri. I was in a really dark place and surrounded myself with dark people. I'd go so far as to say that they were psychos- that I was a psycho." He spoke quietly, glancing over at her to see that she was watching him intently. There was no real expression on her face, but that's how he knew that she was paying close attention to him. "I'll go further into that one when we stop for the night, if you're interested. Any other questions?"

"Aren't you hot in jeans?"

"I'm managing well enough."

"Are you scared?"

"I'm scared that I'll lose you, Brielle. You're my everything." Dean admitted, keeping his eyes forward when he heard her seatbelt unbuckle. It wasn't long before he felt her hand on his thigh and looked down to see her looking up at him.

"I could never leave you. The past is the past and you became a better person. I love you, Dean Ambrose."

"I love you, too, darlin'." He spoke softly, pecking her lips. "I'm not letting you go, either."

* * *

They had been driving nonstop for hours before Dean found the campsite he had reserved while Brielle was asleep that morning in the Coconino National Forest in Arizona. They were a bit isolated and Dean told her to stay in the truck while he pitched the tent. She knew then that they were in danger and it had to do with whatever life he had before he was Dean Ambrose the patrol cop. She just wasn't sure she wanted to know what he did.

As much as she really wanted to know, she was a bit afraid to know what kind of guy her boyfriend used to be. Sure; he obviously changed and was the sweetest guy she had ever met, but she wasn't sure that she wanted to know what exactly he was capable of. She would stand by what she had said during the ride, but if it was truly bad she knew that there'd be a lingering fear of him switching back to that guy again. A lingering fear of him hurting her, something he promised that he'd never do.

"Bri, come on." Dean stated, her eyes snapping from their tent to where he stood in the open drivers side door. "Get my gun from the glove box, please."

She wordlessly complied, holding it like he had taught her to before she scooted across the seat to hand it to him and get out of the truck. He shrugged out of his trademark leather jacket and handed it over to her, since she was visibly shaking from the cold seeping through her flimsy hoodie. Brielle gratefully slipped into it, watching as Dean tucked his pistol into the front waistband of his jeans and went to get the fire started.

"Stay where I can see you, Bri." He warned, successfully stopping her from wandering down a dark trail. Instead, she turned on her heel and pulled his jacket tighter around her body while she watched him get the fire started. It was a low fire, but a fire nonetheless and he had some food out for them to cook over it while sitting on the logs.

"Are you going to tell me what you did?" Brielle asked once she was seated beside him on a log and he looked down at her.

"You should eat something, Bri."

"I don't want to eat. I want some fucking answers."

"Brielle, you haven't eaten all day-"

"You said that you would-"

"And I promised that I will tonight. I've never broken a promise to you and I'm not going to start now." He assured, gently caressing her cheek. "I just want you to get some food in your system. You haven't eaten all day and I'm trying my best to take care of you."

"I know. I'm sorry for getting pissy, I just-"

"You're scared and confused. I understand. Just know that I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you safe, Brielle."

"I know." She spoke, nodding slowly. Dean only pulled her closer to him and stuck a long camping fork in her hand that already had a hot dog impaled on it. "You make me feel safe, Dean."

"I'm glad. You should never be scared of me." Dean spoke softly, gently pushing her hair back before picking up his own fork and hot dog. "I could never hurt you."

"I know." She whispered, smiling when he gently pulled her into a kiss. "I love you so much, Dean."

"I love you, too." He breathed against her lips before looking back to the fire. "What do you want to know?"

"What did you do?"

"I... helped them kill people. I didn't know at first, to be honest. They just said it was simple robbery, y'know? It wasn't until I met Seth and Roman that I started learning the real truth."

"Oh. They called you Mox, though? Not Dean."

"I guess this is where we get into the deeper shit, huh?" Dean asked with a sad smile, blowing out the fire on his hot dog before biting at the crisp meat. He knew that if he was just with Seth and Roman then he would've eaten the hot dog raw without even thinking twice, but that was weird behavior for Brielle and he didn't want to explain himself further. "Legally, my name is Dean Ambrose but that's because I got it changed back when I was about twenty-one. I was born Jonathan Good, and then when I started hanging out with the psychos they called me Jon Moxley."

"You can't hang out with the bad guys when your last name is Good." Brielle spoke with a small laugh and he chuckled.

"That's very true."

"So did you change your name as a 'new leaf' sort of thing?"

"Yeah. I wanted to leave all the bullshit in the past."

"Can I call you Jon sometimes?"

"Let's set up some sort of code." He suggested, looking into her eyes to make sure he had her attention. "When we're in a serious- potentially dangerous- situation, you call me Jon and I'll use your full name. If I call you Brielle, I really need you to do everything I say and not think twice about it."

"Got it." She spoke confidently, something that made him smile. She was still there, although she was obviously terrified. "So...you didn't rob any banks?"

"Nah. Do you wish that I did?"

"Kinda. How cool would having a bank robber boyfriend be?" She asked with a laugh, grinning up at him. "But I'm happy with my bad boy turned cop."

"Are you?"

"It's pretty sexy."

"My god, I think I've corrupted you." He teased, stealing her hot dog.

"Will you teach me how to shoot a gun?"

"First, you need to learn how to use your body for self defense before I teach you how to use any other weapon."

"Can we do that now?"

"Sure you're not tired?"

"Dean, I'm fine. Please?" She begged, sticking her bottom lips out in a pout that she knew he'd be unable to resist. He watched as she kept the pout while shimmying out of his jacket and he sighed, knowing that he'd have to teach her sooner or later.

"Fine. Stand up." He said, standing and watching as she followed his lead. He quickly turned her around and gently wrapped his arm around her neck and began dragging her towards the truck. "What do you do?"

"Scream rape?"

"We're in a forest, Bri."

"Squirm a lot?"

"Throw your head back and try to get your assailant in the face." He sighed, in disbelief that he'd let her go this long without even teaching her the basics. "But squirming would be helpful, too."

After about fifteen minutes of Dean putting Brielle in different holds and showing her how to get out of them, he had her on the ground and his mouth was attached to her neck while his hand was in her unbuttoned shirts teasing her covered clit. She writhed and moaned beneath him, wordlessly begging for more of his touches when he heard rustling in the tree line. He shushed her as his eyes scanned the area, Brielle watching as his blue eyes narrowed and moved from left to right and back again.

"Brielle, go to the tent and stay put until I give the all-clear."

"What's the-"

"I'll whistle. Don't open the tent unless I do." He stated, sitting up and pulling his gun from his waistband as he stood. "Go."

She nodded, not bothering to fix her shorts until she was in the safety of their tent. He picked up his jacket and tossed it into the tent with her, knowing that it would comfort her until he gave the all-clear. He really hated feeling like he was backed up against a wall, but he'd fight to get them out of this corner. He'd scratch and claw their way out if he had to.

He slowly raised his gun as he approached the sound of the rustling, using the barrel to push the branch out of his way. He came face to face with an older man and a small boy, quickly tucking his gun away.

"Uh- sorry." Dean quickly apologized, seeing the horrified look on the man's face while the boy stared up at him in wonder.

"We heard a squeal and thought we'd make sure everything was alright." The man explained, giving Dean a cautionary once over. "You don't look like a cop, yet you have a service pistol."

"I'm a cop in Vegas but I'm going on a road trip to Florida with my girlfriend."

"Sorry to intrude. Enjoy your night."

"You, too, sir." Dean spoke before stepping back, and turning to his campsite. "Bri." He called, just to test the waters and nodded his appreciation when she didn't even budge. He let out a whistle and smiled when the tent was unzipped and Brielle climbed out, leaving his jacket in the tent.

"Were you just testing me?" She asked, seeing the smirk on his face and he nodded as he pulled her into a hug.

"The tent wasn't a test, but the name thing was. Good job, sweetheart." He spoke softly, rubbing her back. "Now let's go to bed. We've got a long ass drive ahead of us."

"Yes, daddy." She teased, yelping quietly when he lightly smacked her ass.

"It's your bedtime, little girl."


	11. Home

Seth stepped onto the front porch at the same time Dean's truck pulled into the driveway. Knowing that his clothes and face were covered in animal blood, the vampire ran inside and dashed up the stairs before Brielle saw him like that. She probably still didn't know and he wasn't going to be the reason Dean finally came clean to her.

It didn't strike him that Abbey had gone quiet until he was in the shower, but he assumed that she had passed out from exhaustion and possibly starvation. But she'd be fed soon, his mother had it under control.

"Sethasaurus, let's go!" Elmira called and Seth shook his head at the nickname given to him by the younger werewolf. "Dean is here!"

"Cool your jets, kid!" He called back as he shut off the water, stepping out of the shower to make sure that he had gotten all the blood off of his skin. Once he had passed his own inspection, he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He could hear Dean doing the basic introductions downstairs while he dried off and got dressed in some fresh clothes. When he did get down the stairs, Brielle smiled at him and he winked, smirking as Dean was being scolded for keeping him away in the other room.

"What are they talking about?" She whispered once he sat down beside her on the couch and he shrugged.

"You'll find out soon, little bit. Just relax, alright? Nobody here is going to hurt you."

"That's what Dean said. But after what those guys did, I'm on edge."

"Can I see?" Seth asked quietly, pointing to the wrist that she held delicately with her other hand. Brielle nodded slowly, removing her hand and letting Seth push up the sleeve of her hoodie gently. He sucked in a harsh breath at how discolored her tanned skin was and gently ran a finger along the width of the obvious goblin hand print. She audibly winced and he apologized with his eyes before pulling her sleeve down. "They'll pay."

"They will?"

"You're one of us, Brielle. A member of this ragtag family, and we look out for our own. Who knows, Dean might even let you get in a couple hits." He explained, gently nudging her with his elbow. She let out a small giggle and Seth smiled, glad that he could make her laugh.

Eventually Dean and their mother left the other room and Dean gestured with his head for Brielle to follow his lead to which she obeyed without a second thought, playfully tapping Seth's cheek as she made her leave. Dean took her hand in his as they went down the stairs to the basement, a second door catching Brielle's eye as Dean pulled her passed it and to the door at the end of the small hall. She watched from the doorway with Dean as his mother searched her shelves of various jars until she found one that she wanted and carelessly tossed it to Dean.

"Have you ever thought about organizing, ma?" Dean asked, his done betraying that he was teasing the older woman when she tossed another jar to him while she crossed the room.

"We're going to make a salve to put on your wrist that should speed up the healing process and alleviate the pain you're feeling."

"Okay." Brielle said softly, confused yet again as she took a jar from Dean. Not one of the jars in this room was marked, so she had no clue how this woman just knew what was what. It was all so strange to her and she didn't like it.

"Take those up to the kitchen." His mother demanded and the two nodded, Dean leading the way once again.

"She's pretty demanding." Brielle whispered to Dean, who nodded with a laugh.

"But you gotta love her. Watch that top step." He warned, looking back to see that Brielle cleared it with no trouble. "Atta girl."

"Is Abbey here?" Brielle asked and he nodded. Setting his jars in front of where Seth sat at the table. She followed his lead and sat down, frowning at the small frown on Seth's face.

"She's probably asleep somewhere." The two toned vampire lied, forcing a smile for the small human's sake. "Roman and Elmira went out to the beach."

"Not anymore." Elmira called as she and Roman jogged into the house. "We've got trouble."

"Trouble?" Brielle asked, looking up to Dean as his jaw set. "Dean?"

"What do you mean?"

"Abbey's friends want her back." Roman stated, looking to his brothers to make sure that they caught his drift.

"Fuck that." Dean spoke up first, taking off his jacket and tossing it to the floor. Seth stood from his chair and Brielle looked up at the tall people around her, scared out of her mind. "Bri, go upstairs and into the second door on the left. Lock the door and hide in the closet."

"Dean, I-"

"Brielle." He looked down at her with everyone else watching as she stood and followed his directions, picking up his jacket along the way. Once they all heard the door lock the four creatures started formulating their plan of attack to keep both Brielle and Abbey away from the bloodthirsty vampires.

Once again, Brielle was confused. But she was also terrified of whatever was outside. She was in danger, Dean made that clear when he told her to hide in a closet. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were keeping something from her, but let it go for the time being. She assumed that they'd let her in on whatever secret when the time was right, because Seth told her that she was a member of their family now.

There was yelling and commotion from outside and, against her better judgement, Brielle was curious. She knew that she was supposed to follow Dean's every instruction, but getting out of the closet for a moment wouldn't hurt anything. At least she hoped. Once outside the closet, she heard footsteps running up the stairs and tensed, but relaxed when she saw Abbey. Dean trusted her, so she could trust her.

She was wrong. She knew that she was when when she saw the look in Abbey's eyes. She almost looked crazed, in Brielle's opinion, and her eyes never left the small human.

"You smell so good." Abbey whispered, taking a long whiff of the air in the room. To Brielle, all time stood still. She couldn't hear anything but her heart beat and Abbey's talking, not even the creak of the floorboard when she took a step back. "I just want a taste."

"Taste of what?" Brielle asked as she stepped back once again, fear pushing adrenaline through her brains as Abbey took another step forward. The blonde was shaking, so Brielle was hoping that it was because her body was weak and that she could make a break for the door. "How did you even get in here?"

"Just let me taste you. Your mutt boyfriend doesn't have to know."

"I'll pass." Brielle stated as the door was kicked in by Seth, just in time to watch Abbey lunge at Brielle. Lucky for Brielle, Seth was faster than his mate, pulling her off of the human before she could bite into her.

"Abbey! Think about what you're doing!" Seth scolded as he held the squirming blonde in his arms. "You, run downstairs and take the back door and run down the trail. Find somewhere to hide and don't come out unless Dean, Roman, or myself come get you. Run, Brielle."

Not having to be told twice, the little brunette left the room and jogged down the stairs, pausing briefly when she heard a snarl and a howl of pain. She didn't think anything of it and bolted out the back door and down the trail Seth mentioned, never stopping to look back until she found a giant rock to hide behind.

She wanted Dean and hoped to god that he was okay.


	12. Split

It had all happened so fast. Dean had shifted into bear to shield Elmira from getting hit by something that was flung in her direction and Roman's shout as he too shifted was enough for the vampires to back off. Seth had gotten Abbey locked away in the chamber once again and was outside just in time to see Dean collapse and slowly shift back. He was naked, of course, since bears don't fit in medium tshirts and the jeans he wore.

"You idiot." Elmira whispered as she kneeled beside Dean and pushed his moppy blonde curls out of his face. "If you had time to shift, I had time to duck."

"You've got a funny way of saying thank you, bitch." Dean rasped out, trying his best to chuckle before groaning in pain. "Fuck that hurts."

"Don't talk. Let's get you cleaned up, alright?" Roman suggested, nodding to Seth for assistance in picking up the skinwalker. Seth was quick to comply, sliding beneath Dean's other arm and nodding to Roman.

"Have you put on some weight?"

"Brie likes to cook for me but we work out all the time. I'm only two twenty five...dick." Dean rasped, smacking the side of Seth's head since that was accessible to him. "Where's Bri?"

"I sent her down the trail like you said to."

"Take her away from here. Drake and Sami are going to-"

"They don't know you're here." Roman assured, but Dean shook his head as they entered the house.

"They know her scent and mine. They're trackers. They'll-"

"She'll be fine, Dean." Their mother interrupted as the two eased Dean onto the couch.

"She can't see me like this. She'll worry and she can't-"

"Seth will get her away from here."

"Why not me? Once the sun is up Seth is-"

"Weak. I know. But Brielle is comfortable with Seth already. Seth taking her away won't be a big deal for her." Their mother interrupted Roman, looking Seth in the eye. He nodded and stepped back, but Dean reached out to grab his wrist.

"Her bag is the little grey one in my truck bed. Make sure one of my shirts is in there and that it smells like me. She'll need it." Dean requested, giving a small smile when Seth nodded. "There was a knife in my jacket, I don't know if she found it or not so be careful."

"Got it."

"And Seth?"

"Yeah, Dean?"

"If one hair is misplaced on her head, I want the name of the motherfucker that did it so I can add it to my list of dead men."

"You got it." Seth chuckled, in disbelief that Dean had a knife stuck in his stomach and he was planning on ripping anyone to shreds for harming his mate. Dean Ambrose was a character.

"Take care of her, though. Whatever she needs, give it to her. I don't care at this point." Dean stated before shooing Seth away. He went into the kitchen to grab the jar of the salve made for her injured wrist and went on his way. So without thinking a plan through properly, Seth did as told went on a search for the small human. It was simply a task of following his nose and he was surprised to see that she was asleep behind a rock while bundled in Dean's jacket. He wouldn't thought that fear would keep her awake, but she'd had a mentally exhausting day and sprinted pretty far along the path so she was bound to be tired.

"Brielle." Seth whispered, reaching out and shaking her gently. He was surprised once again when she jolted awake and had a blade pressed to his wrist in a split second. "Damn, Ambrose taught you well."

"Seth?" Brielle asked quietly, eyes widening when they adjusted to the lack of light around them. "Is that-?"

"It's me, little bit. Come on, we've got a lot of ground to cover while the night is on our side."

"What do you mean?" She asked as he helped her to her feet, his hand not leaving hers as he started leading her down the trail. "Seth?"

"I'll let you in on the secret once you're somewhere safe." He assured, smiling down at her before lifting her into his arms. She didn't fight his hold and even rest her head on his shoulder while he walked.

"What is up with your family and secrets?"

"You'll learn soon enough." He spoke softly, eyes scanning around them for any potential threats. "Get some sleep, little bit."

"Won't you be bored?"

"My priority is to take care of you until Dean gives us the all clear. Get some sleep, kid."

"Thank you, Seth. Can I ask you something, first?"

"Sure."

"Abbey called Dean a 'mutt'. Was she just being a bitch or was there some meaning behind it?"

"That's a question Dean has to answer, Bri. It's not my place to tell." Seth spoke softly, looking down to see that her eyes were closed and she was nodding into his shirt. He could understand why Callihan wanted Brielle other than to get to Dean. She was beautiful with her nicely tanned skin, long brown hair, and pretty green eyes. Throw in the fact that she was small and fragile made her perfect for Callihan to destroy.

But Seth wasn't going to let that happen.

He'd wordlessly promised Dean that he would take care of Brielle, and he wouldn't think twice about killing Callihan if they came into contact because that goblin was responsible for Brielle's injury. He just didn't know how to explain how they were walking so fast if Dean didn't want her knowing their little secret. He was just lucky that Bigfoot was in his Florida home not too far from where they were. They'd be there by sunrise, as long as nothing got in their way.

* * *

"My ribs hurt." Dean groaned and Roman sighed. Their mother and Elmira were working on some pain reliever/healing accelerator for Dean, which left the big werewolf watching over the shifter.

"I know. Was it worth it?"

"Protecting my sister? It'll always be worth it." Dean whispered, deciding that keeping his voice down was the best option to prevent too much pain. "And don't you thank me, big man. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The golden retriever in me kind of requires it."

"And I appreciate it." Roman stated, looking to the window. "I hope Seth finds somewhere to camp for the day before the sun comes up."

"He will." Elmira spoke softly, briefly looking to the corner where Abbey wept quietly before making her way over to the couch. She set the tray in her hands on the side table and pulled it over in front of the couch before sitting on the edge of the couch. "Seth knows Florida like the back of his hand. They'll be fine."

"Do I need to sit up more?" Dean asked, sighing in relief when she shook her head.

"You're propped up enough." The young werewolf said as she started peeling away the bandages on his upper torso. She tried her best to be careful, but one nudge had him wincing and she looked apologetic. Elmira knew that this was her fault. She wasn't paying close enough attention and Dean made himself pay the price. She felt so bad, and no amount of them assuring her that it wasn't her fault was going to make her feel better. She wouldn't feel better until Dean was feeling better. "This is going to sting a bit."

"How bad?" Dean asked, not at all surprised by the fact that she didn't answer him. He was surprised, however, by how much the salve actually stung when she started rubbing it on his skin. "This is a bit!?"

"Quit your bitching, Dean." Their mother called from the kitchen, clattering of pots and pans following soon after.

"Let's wrap you back up, now." Elmira instructed, making sure to be careful around the wound. "You really didn't have to do that for me, y'know?"

"Yes I did. You're my kid sister."

"Kid sister!? I've been around since World War One!" Elmira argued, her hazel eyes narrowing when the blonde chuckled.

"Civil War, kiddo."

"Fuck, you're old."

"Roman's older." Dean teased, looking to the big werewolf when he laughed at their little spat. "Mr. 'I fought in the Revolutionary War'."

"Where you a Union soldier?" Elmira asked, smiling in relief when Dean nodded.

"If I fought for the other team, do you thing I'd be hanging out with Seth and Roman?"

"Very true."

"Damn straight." Dean stated before closing his eyes. "This is the first night in a while that I've slept without Bri. I don't think I can do it."

"Do you want me to call Seth so you can talk to her?" Roman asked and Dean shook his head.

"No. He needs to focus on getting her somewhere safe. I just feel so naked sleeping without her laying on my chest."


	13. Big Show

Seeing the house was a blessing to Seth. He was exhausted and the rising sun wasn't much help. He could feel himself weakening by every minute the sun continued to rise. It sucked. Brielle didn't weigh much, but she felt much heavier in his arms than she did when the moon was high in the sky.

"Who's on my property!" That familiar booming voice called and Seth smirked to himself as he pushed forward.

"Seth Rollins! I need your help!"

"Get in here, then!" With the confirmation, Seth broke into a light jog, trying his best not to shake Brielle up too much while he did so. "Who's this?"

"Dean's mate. He's hurt and there are a couple rogues after him that want her to get to him."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Guest bedrooms are upstairs, just pick one." The giant instructed, Seth nodding his respect and thanks before heading up the stairs. He didn't intend on collapsing into the large bed beside Brielle, but he couldn't stay up any longer. Just that ten minutes in the sun was too much for him because of the hundred and fifteen pounds of human and her bag that he had to carry as well.

But it was worth it to him.

She was part of the family, whether or not she knew their big secrets. When the truth came out he knew that all of their secrets were likely to flow with it, and he didn't mind. He just couldn't wait to be able to make vampire jokes around her. He hoped that Dean didn't continue to prolong the inevitable. If he did, it'll blow up in his face and Brielle was likely to get pissed off and probably leave. That would tear Dean to shreds and she wouldn't fare well either.

* * *

Brielle woke up to her phone ringing and was surprised to see him fast asleep and biting into his pillow. But she figured to each his own and rolled over him to grab her phone from her bag. When she saw that it was Dean she couldn't contain the excitement and quickly answered, having wanted to hear his voice for what felt like ages.

"Dean?"

_"Bri, baby, you're okay?_" He sounded so relieved, and that made her so happy. She missed him terribly, though.

"I'm fine. Seth brought me to some house but he's asleep and chewing on a pillow."

_"Don't wake him. Just know that you're safe there, alright?"_

"Alright." She spoke softly, smiling until she remembered what Abbey had said about him. "Hey, Dean?"

_"Yeah, Bri?"_

"Abbey called you a mutt yesterday evening, before Seth stopped her from jumping on me. What did she mean?"

_"That's...hard to explain over the phone, Brielle."_ He spoke softly, and she could hear his reluctance to answer. _"But when I see you next, I'm going to kiss you so hard and then I'll tell you everything."_

"I miss you so much, Dean. Seth is a comfort but he's not you."

_"I made sure that Seth put one of my shirts in your bag for you, Bri. Just know that I'm not too far from you. Can you go find the owner of the house you're in?"_

"Sure." She spoke with a smile, exiting the bedroom and heading for the staircase. She didn't realize just how large the house was until she reached the lower level, and when she saw the house's occupant she realized just why the house was so big. The guy had to be seven feet tall, and he easily dwarfed her five-foot-two stature. "Excuse me, sir?"

"What can I do for you, little lady?" The giant asked, and Brielle heard Dean make some noise of excitement.

"My boyfriend would like to speak with you."

"Sure thing." He spoke, gently pulling the phone from her and watching as she went to explore the backyard. "She looks fragile, Ambrose."

_"She is, Show. She's my everything, though."_

"Does she know?"

_"No."_ Dean sighed, bringing a frown onto the giant's face as he watched the human interact with his mastiff. _"I don't know how."_

"You need to sit her down, Dean. What happened to her wrist?"

_"A goblin who's head is about to be on a stick as soon as I can move without pain."_

"What happened?"

_"Helmsley happened. Don't tell Bri or else she'll panic."_

"Okay."

* * *

Dean was more than just relieved that Seth took Brielle to Bigfoot's house. They'd be safe there, since Helmsley wouldn't dare cross the giant and he knew Drake and Sami wouldn't fare well against him either. He knew that the clock was ticking and he had to tell Brielle about his affliction before it slipped out from somebody else, and he had half a mind to go to the giant's house now and tell her everything. But his mother and Elmira were voices of reason, keeping him on the couch and treating his wound with what he called "the devil's salve". The shit stung like no other and he hoped Brielle's didn't sting that bad.

"Did you talk to Bri?" Roman asked as he entered the house, fresh from a run for animals to be drained for Abbey's rehabbing. Dean could smell and hear the various animals in the werewolf's large duffel and felt bad about them having to be alive for the draining. But fresh meant fresh and he was just glad that he didn't have to help catch them.

"Yeah. Seth took her to Show's place."

"Smart man."


	14. Found Out

Brielle woke up surrounded by warmth and it took a second for it to dawn on her that she had fallen asleep with Seth and Barley, Big Show's dog. The giant's name wasn't actually Big Show, but he had told her that everybody called him that so she started to, as well. But when she opened her eyes, she noticed that Seth was nowhere to be found and Barley's ears were up. He was alert for some reason, and she was curious.

"Your curiosity is going to be the death of you, Bri." She heard Dean in her head, making her smile to herself as she got dressed in jeans and a black camisole. A few quick brushstrokes had her hair presentable and she didn't bother with her shoes before heading down the stairs, Barley following close behind.

"You have to tell her soon." She recognized Roman's voice and tilted her head as she stopped on the stairs.

"Fucks sake, Roman. She's not ready." Dean argued, and Brielle knew that they were arguing over her. But for what? What wasn't she ready for?

She looked over at Barley, noticing him watching her intently as if he, too, understood that they were talking about her. She gave a simple nod and continued down the stairs, seeing Dean, Roman, and Seth sitting at the table with Show. Seth noticed her first and nudged Dean, who turned to face her slowly. She could see the pain in his face and frowned, but smiled when he gave a thumbs up.

"Why do I feel like I'm having a Bella Swan moment?" She asked, laughing in hopes that they'd all laugh with her. When Seth hung his head and Roman scratched the back of his neck she knew that they got the reference but Dean only looked at her quizzically. She honestly didn't expect him to get the reference, but when Roman whispered in his ear what she assumed was an explanation, he frowned and heaved a deep sigh before easing onto his feet.

"Bri, I-"

"When were you going to tell me this big secret of yours, Dean?" She asked, taking a tentative step back from her boyfriend.

"When you were ready. You're still young and you've got plenty of things on your mind that this could've waited until our lives calmed down a bit."

"Calmed down? You're a cop and I'm in college. There's no calming down for years."

"Dean, you should just tell her now." Seth commented, earning a glare from the skinwalker.

"Butt out, Seth."

"We don't have time for this, Dean." Roman commented, looking to his brother. "She needs to know."

"No."

"I need to know what?" Brielle asked, looking to Roman. "Are you guys vampires or something?"

"Don't answer that, Seth." Dean ordered, frowning when Seth rose his hand anyway. "Damnit, you guys. She's not ready!"

"That's why you wanted to know more about the skin walkers, isn't it Dean?"

"Bri-"

"Isn't it!?"

"Yes, but I can explain, sweetheart. We all can."

"What's Roman, then?"

"Werewolf." The Samoan answered quietly, making Brielle shake her head in disbelief.

"I'm Bigfoot." Big Show cut in, bringing a groan out of the little brunette as she dropped to her ass.

"I quit. I just- I give up."

"Brielle, just listen. Okay?"

"I don't want to listen to anything you have to say, Jon!" She shouted, pulling at her hair. "Simply because I don't think I can trust you."

"Brielle-"

"You've been lying to me about this for a year. What else have you been lying to me about?" She was close to tears. Everybody heard her heart rate increase and Seth could practically smell her fear. Dean felt it all though. She was his mate through thick and thin- he felt her pain. "What else?"

"Brielle, sweetheart, that's it. Just take a couple deep breaths for me, okay? You'll spark an asthma attack and I don't have your inhaler." Dean tried reasoning with her, kneeling down so they were at eye level and she could see how sorry he was for being deceptive. "In and out, Bri. That's it."

"Why did Abbey try to kill me?"

"She's a vampire, too." Seth spoke up, rising from his seat and crossing the room in three quick strides so he could kneel beside his brother. "She's my mate. I tried so hard to get her off of the human blood addiction. I really did."

"Do you-"

"Of course not. You guys taste terrible." Seth lied with a small smile, inching closer when she gave a small water chuckle while she wiped at her eyes. "Elmira, she's a werewolf, too."

"Roman's...mate?"

"Mhm." The werewolf hummed his confirmation, winking at the small human. Brielle could only shake her head, green eyes flickering to Dean when he scooted forward.

"I know I lied, and I know that this was a fucked up thing to lie about."

"Tell me about it." Brielle muttered, smoothing her hair down with one hand while she wiped at her eyes with the other.

"But you have to know that I did it to protect you." He spoke softly, continuing to get closer to her. She surprised him by closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around his neck. "No more tears, baby. I'm so sorry you found out this way."

"But not for lying to me?"

"I'm never going to apologize for protecting you."

"Ridiculous man- thing? Whatever."

"Skin walker." He corrected with a small smile, kissing her nose.

"Skin walker." She spoke softly, nodding slowly before nuzzling into his neck. He took a deep breath and smiled at Seth before standing and bringing Brielle to her feet with him. "I assume that we'll talk more about this later?"

"Anything you wanna know. I'll answer all your questions when it's just us."

"Alright."

"And me, too. Ask me anything, anytime, little bit." Seth assured, grin on his face when Brielle looked over at him.

"I'll be sure to hold you to that." She murmured before looking back up at Dean. He looked beat to hell and she wanted to ask why, but figured it wasn't her place. Especially when Barley started barking and Seth moved to box her between himself and Dean. "Guys?"

"We've got company." Big Show stated, standing and pulling the rifle down from the rack on the wall. "And not the good kind."

"Is it those guys from the club?" Brielle asked, looking to her boyfriend for an answer.

"Yeah. Only they brought friends."

"Friends?" She asked just before the door burst open. It all seemed so fast to her, but to Dean everything was happening in slow motion.

Drake leaping at Seth while Gage, a behemoth of a vampire, squared squared off with Show. "The Ego" Rob Anthony stared down Roman, which left Sami. The little goblin's eyes flickered between Dean and Brielle with that sick smile on his face. Dean knew there was some twisted scenario involving Brielle in his head and that fact made his blood boil with rage as he released Brielle and guided her to stand behind him as Sami got into position to lunge.

But he never got that chance.

Barley leapt at the goblin, his teeth sinking into the pale skin while he shrieked in pain and begged somebody to get him off. This brought Drake's attention from Seth, giving the vampire the upper hand and chance to sweep the shifter's feet from beneath him and pin him to the hardwood before grabbing one of Big Show's vases and knocking him out with it.

Brielle had done what her instinct told her to do as soon as Sami was preoccupied by Barley. She dropped to her hands and knees and crawled to the kitchen. Roman was punching in the face of the unfamiliar man and hadn't noticed her crawl passed, and she found herself nestled in one of Big Show's cupboards with his baking utensils. She listened as the battles waged on, hoping and praying that her boys made it out okay.


End file.
